Dep. Finance Minister In Trouble �Likely To Face Prez Mahama

Mrs. Mona Quartey, the deputy minister of finance, will in the coming days face President John Mahama to explain certain decisions she took on the blindside of Cabinet. The deputy minister, barely a month after taking office, committed the government to a settlement agreement with Bankswitch, something the late President J.E.A. Mills and President Mahama would not commit the country to. The Kufour administration entered into what insiders describe as a bad deal with Bankswitch to take up aspects lf legitimate duties of the Custom, Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS). At the time, the Kufour administration committed Ghana to doling out several thousands of dollars for no work done. When the National Democratic Congress (NDC) took power in 2009, the issue with Bankswitch was looked into. However, for reasons best known to her, the current deputy finance minister has written to Bankswitch, spelling out how to pay the company. In a letter gleaned by .The Enquirer., Mrs. Quartey prepared a scheduled payment plan to Bankswitch. In a letter, written immediately she took office, she committed Ghana to dole out over GH500 million to Bankswitch as first payment. What insiders at the ministry of finance find shocking is the fact that the deputy minister wrote the said letter on behalf of the substantive minister, Mr. Seth Terkper. It is however emerging that the deputy minister took a unilateral decision. The 'Enquirer'�s checks at the finance ministry revealed that the deputy minister never discussed the issue with management before writing to Bankswitch. The Enquirer gathered from the corridors of the ministry that there is deep-seated anger among the huge players over the deputy minister�s action. What the insiders described as nauseating is the fact that she never had any briefing before writing to Bankswitch. Bankswitch, an ICT company, was involved in a 2007 contract signed with the previous NPP administration, where it was supposed to check corruption within the Customs, Exercise and Preventive Services (CEPS) on valuation of goods. The NDC government when it took the reins of power cancelled the contract because it was signed at a time that the State already had a contract with GCNet and a number of Destination inspection Companies (DICs) performing the same functions for which Bankswitch was being contracted. As at 2009, Bankswitch had not started work, causing the abrogation of the contract.