Trade Ministry Erred – Controller & Accountant General

The Controller and Accountant General, Eugene Asante Ofosuhene has indicted the Ministry of Trade and Industry for using a public account to receive monies from private businesses in the Ghana Expatriate Businesses Awards saga.

He stated that the Ministry erred by using State Accounts to receive private funds without advice from his outfit.

The decision by the Ministry in issuing the General Counterfoil Receipt (GCR) and its official account to collect monies and transfer same to the Millennium Excellence Foundation contravenes regulations 14 of the Financial Regulations Act of Ghana.

According to him, if the Ministry had contacted him, he would not have kicked against it and rather advice for the opening of a separate account for that purpose.

Asante Ofosuhene said this when he appeared before Parliament’s five-member adhoc Committee investigating allegations of collections and levies from expatriate businesses to enable them sit close to the President of the Republic during an awards ceremony.

The committee which was expected to have presented its report to the plenary last Tuesday, January, 24 was given up to 31st January to submit the report due to its inability to complete its work on time scheduled.

The extension was reached based on a mutual agreement among leadership of both sides of the house following a request by the committee.

The delay was due to the failure of the expatriate businesses last week to appear before the adhoc Committee which had to reschedule to meet them in camera.

On January 5, 2018, the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak moved a motion at an emergency sitting of Parliament urging the House to investigate the alleged levies collected by the Ministry of Trade & Industry of the Ghana Cedi equivalent of various sums up to US$100,000.00 from expatriate businesses and related matters during the recently held Ghana Expatriates Business Awards in Accra.

According to him, the documents at his disposal clearly showed that some monies were collected from expatriates, noting that such was unethical.

The motion was seconded by the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

By: Christian Kpesese/ thePublisher