SONA: President Akufo-Addo clears air on COVID funds, denies any wrongdoing
Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo has defended the use of COVID-19 funds by his government, stating that there was no dishonourable conduct with the funds.
The President noted that the funds were requested by the government to be audited, given the widespread and long-lasting economic impact of the pandemic, as it was crucial to demonstrate that the funds were not misused. The President’s comments come after the release of a recent audit report on Government’s COVID-19 expenditure by the Auditor General, Johnson Asiedu.
According to the report, the Ministry of Finance mobilised a total of GHS 21.8bn from March 2020 to June 2022 to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Ghanaian economy. The Auditor-General also noted that the total amount of GH¢21,844,189,185.24 was sourced from the Contingency Fund, the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU), and the sale of BOG-COVID-19 Bonds for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Fiscal Years to finance the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme and implementation of the Ghana COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, as well as Budgetary Support.
Despite the report revealing the mobilisation of a significant sum of money to combat the pandemic, concerns have been raised about the transparency and accountability of the government’s spending. The Auditor-General’s report highlighted several irregularities, including undocumented payments and discrepancies in the procurement of COVID-19-related goods and services.
The responses from the Ministers for Health and Finance, on January 23 and 25, 2023, respectively, have sufficiently laid to rest the queries from the Auditor General’s report, according to the President. However, the Auditor-General’s findings suggest otherwise, and many in the country remain unconvinced of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 funds.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on Ghana’s economy, with the country experiencing its first recession in 37 years in 2020. The government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic have been commendable, but questions over the transparency and accountability of its spending threaten to undermine public trust and confidence.
In light of this, the government must take steps to address the irregularities highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report and demonstrate its commitment to transparency and accountability. This includes ensuring that all COVID-19-related spending is properly documented and audited, and that any irregularities are promptly addressed.
Furthermore, the government must work to rebuild public trust and confidence in its handling of the pandemic by providing regular updates on its spending and ensuring that the funds are being used to effectively mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the economy and the people of Ghana. Failure to do so risks further eroding public trust and damaging the country’s reputation.
