The GHS600 million allocated to the Agenda 111 project is yet to be utilised, according to the Finance Ministry.
In a statement responding to concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament, the ministry said the amount has been released into the project account at the Bank of Ghana.
Government expects to “drawdown various amounts from the account, which would be managed by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).”
The money was first released to the Health Infrastructure Account at the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to support the implementation of the District and Regional Hospital projects back in 2020.
Moving forward, the Ministry said the amount “will be disbursed to contractors in accordance with the project work plan.”
It noted further that only GHS36 million, which the minority also questioned, “has been released as part of pre-construction mobilisation.”
The ministry assured further that it will “ensure due process during procurement and disbursement.”
Responding to the Ministry on Eyewitness News, the Ajumako Enyam Essiam MP, Cassiel Ato Forson, said the government’s management of the funds was not prudent.
“You do not have an immediate need to spend the money. Why do you go out there to borrow money, and then you end up transferring the money to the Ghana Infrastructural Investment fund,” he asked.
Because this is a social intervention and not an investment, Mr. Forson said that “it is something that the government should have carried on the back of the government budget.”
“That needs further probing. I cannot accept that as a legitimate answer. I cannot doubt him either,” he added.
On the use of the $36 million as the cost of payment of consultancy fees, design, project management and coordination, Mr. Forson also said he will be pushing for further details.
“How much is coordination, and what at all is the coordination about? We need further and better particulars… When Parliament returns from recess, it is a matter that I will probe further.”
Source: citinewsroom.com