Minority calls for bi-partisan probe into COVID expenditure

The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday called for a bi-partisan probe into the entire COVID-19 receipts and expenditure of government over what they described as non-transparent and proper accountability by government.

According to them the bi-partisan investigation into the matter would help bring the issue to its logical conclusion.

Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member on the Health Committee made the call when he addressed the media in Parliament over recent comments attributed to the World Bank Country Director that Ghana received about US$ 560 million support for the COVID-19 fight contrary to figures put out by government in the 2021 and 2022 budgets.

Mr Akandoh also explained that the Minority side have filed a private member motion for Parliament to constitute a bi-partisan probe into the entire amount received and expenditure of COVID-19.

"We on the minority side have filed a private member motion to constitute a bi-partisan probe into the entire received and expenditure of COVID-19 which we think has never been transparent."

Mr Akandoh also maintained that a lot of issues and remarks by the World Bank Country Director was just one out of the many monies that Ghana had received not less than UDS 560million.

"There is one thing indicating what you have received and properly accounting for what has been received, we think that there has not been proper accountability with regards to COVID-19," he said.

Mr Akandoh also informed the media that the Minority had studied the COVID related expenditure in the 2021 and 2022 budgets which did not tally with the information being received.

"If what the Country Director said is anything to go by then we have a serious problem at hand because the money received so far doesn't tally with what has been indicated by the country director.

"Because we have heard issues about spending about GHC32 million on meetings, we have seen issues about spending about GHC600 million on Agenda 111 in 2020 before even the grounds were broken for the construction for the Agenda 111...these are serious issues that we think might further be looked into it," he added.

GNA