Over GH₵2M proceeds from Mahama’s 10% salary cut ‘missing’

Proceeds from former President John Mahama and his appointees in the 10% salary cut policy cannot be accounted for by the Controller and Accountant General.

This is captured in the Auditor General’s 2016 performance report on the Finance Ministry and Controller and Accountant General.

The charitable austerity was announced by the former President. His vice, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, as well as all ministers of state took the 10% pay cut. The pay cut summed up to a total of GHS2.5million at the end of December 2016.

The amount was deposited in a special account recommended by the former president to be used for the construction of Community-based Health Planning and Services compounds or CHPS compounds.

Head of payroll at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, George Baah in an interview with TV3 in February said: “A monthly average of around GHS 52,000 accrued from the deductions.”

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of parliament on August 9 2017,  Controller and Accountant General Eugene Ofusuhene said former Chief of Staff Julius Debrah in a letter ordered the transfer of the amount in 2014.

"...As to what they have done with the money, that one is not an area for us to answer because it was not statutory deductions which we should have taken and then say pay to SSNIT or pay to GRA. This one was a voluntary deduction so when you deduct you give it to the one who asked you to deduct on his behalf.”

 

primenewsghana.com/Ghana News