We invite commentaries from writers all over. The subject is about Ghana and the world. We reserve the right to accept or reject submissions, but we are not necessarily responsible for the opinions expressed in articles we publish......MORE

Note:  Ghanadot does not endorse any link planted by unscrupulous advertisers in articles submitted to us.  We do not want these links.  Do not support them.  They are scammers.

GYEEDA’S WORLD BANK PROJECT; MORE WANTON DISSIPATION OF PUBLIC MONEY

The Graphic on Monday 15 July (Page 43) published a story about GYEEDA’s World Bank project.

According to the story the loud trumpeting by GYEEDA officials since February 2011 that the World Bank has granted them $65 million is not true and that the Bank was only now, July 2013, considering any form of support, if at all.

But most terrifying is that GYEEDA paid taxpayers money to the tune of GH¢4.6 million ($2.3 million according to the ministerial fact finding committee as reported on myjoyonline.com), to some consultant to facilitate the support, even though the World Bank has stated that it only deals with prospective beneficiaries directly and does not engage consultants or facilitators.

This is another example of the wanton and reckless dissipation of taxpayers’ money by government which has led us into the current severe economic crisis resulting in the imposition of new taxes on shrinking businesses and the already over-burdened taxpayer.

Before this disclosure, the country has also been made aware of the public spending of monies that have not been accounted for. The office of Government machinery at the Presidency overspent, without parliamentary authority, its budget by GH¢650 million in 2012 alone. The Ministry of Youth and Sports overspent GH¢350million, without parliamentary authority, in 2012 alone. The Ministry of Environment overspent its budget by GH¢60 million in 2012 alone also without parliamentary approval. The list goes on.

It is even more pathetic when one considers what would been achieved if these monies had been applied to welfare and development projects.

The money GYEEDA paid to the so-called consultant could have built over 400 boreholes for villages whose water systems have been destroyed by Galamsey.

The GH¢650 million overspent at the Office of Government Machinery (Office of the president) could have built two more N1 highways. The GH¢350 million overspent by the Ministry of Sports could have built at least 5 more interchanges on the N1 highway and an interchange at Kasoa. This amount could also have built over 100 new and modern secondary schools for Ghanaian children.

The government spent GH112 million on so-called capacity building and yet they couldn’t find less than GH¢20 million to pay Ghanaian University lecturers whose work involve capacity building more than any other profession.

The government couldn’t find less than GH¢50 million to pay the allowances of the over 3,000 medical doctors and yet the Ministry of Environment alone overspent its budget by GH¢60 million, and the government paid GH¢52 million to one man in so-called judgement debts.

The kind of reckless spending takes bad governance to new levels in this country. How are Ghanaians expected to endure new taxes and the removal of subsidies when their taxes are so wantonly dissipated?

Ghanaians certainly deserve better than this very bad governance.


……signed……

Perry Okudzeto

NPP Deputy Director of Communications