Auditor-General Records GH¢1.08 Billion In Financial Irregularities In 2021

• The Auditor-General's report for 2021 has recorded huge financial irregularities at public institutions
• The report submitted to Parliament shows a total of GH¢1.08 billion comprising tax, cash and other irregularities at ministries, departments and agencies
• Tax irregularities were the highest, making 91.5% of all irregularities recorded by state auditors for the 2021 financial year

Auditor-General’s report for the 2021 financial year follows a well-known trend of huge financial irregularities at state institutions, with the latest one reaching GH¢1.08 billion.

The latest audit report submitted to Parliament shows the following irregularities and the quantum of money associated with each case:

• Tax Irregularities – GH¢989,026,225
• Cash Irregularities – GH¢45,763,607
• Indebtedness/loans/Advances – GH¢30,758,57
• Payroll Irregularities – GH¢5,601,611
• Stores/Procurement Irregularities – GH¢511,569
• Rent payment Irregularities – GH¢7,710,925; and
• Contract Irregularities – GH¢1,559,424
• These irregularities amounted to GH¢1,080,913,824.

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“We will investigate these matters further and where appropriate, disallow any items of expenditure that were contrary to law, and surcharge responsible officials accordingly,” the Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, said.

According to the report, the tax irregularities (GH¢989,026,225) formed 91.5% of the total financial infractions reported.

Included in this tax irregularity was GH¢402,804572 due from 28 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) that defaulted in paying their rescheduled debt between January 2021 to December 2021.

The Auditor-General attributed these infractions mainly to the failure of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to pursue the OMCs by applying the relevant measures and sanctions against defaulters.

“We recommended that the Commissioner General, GRA should strengthen its monitoring and supervision of its staff. He should also take steps to improve efficiency in their tax collections and follow up on overdue taxes while applying sanctions as prescribed by the tax laws,” the report said.

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The quantum of the total irregularities recorded at public institutions – Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) – represents a slight decrease compared to 2020, which recorded GH¢2.05 billion.

Jubilee House, Finance Ministry And GRA Allegedly Share Confiscated Cargos At The Ports

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that corrupt state officials at the Presidency, the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority have been accused of masterminding a scheme that enables them acquire confiscated cargo at the ports.

A ranking member of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Samson Awingobit, has disclosed that the corrupt scheme is very elaborate and has even become more of a syndicate.

The Executive Secretary of the association made the revelation on XYZ TV recently. He said the practice goes on under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) governments.

Source: YEN.com.gh