The Auditor General in its 2021 report on the Public Accounts of Ghana–Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies has established that the Covid-19 National Trust Fund received total donations amounting to GH¢67,980,222.58 made up of GH¢57,134,093.58 cash and GH¢10,846,129.00 worth of donations in kind.
Out of the GH¢57,134,093.58 cash donations received, a total amount of GH¢37,252,656.90 had been spent on operations and disbursement to 13 organisations and institutions to fight against COVID-19 with the balance of GH¢19,881,436.68 lodged in five bank accounts of the Trust Fund.
The AG urged management to ensure that all donations both cash and non-cash are distributed to the appropriate individuals, organisations and institutions to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, contrary to Regulation 78 (1) (a) (b) of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378) the Auditor General’s vouching disclosed that out of GH¢ 10,257,360 paid via payment voucher number 0590507 dated 16th June 2020 to Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund, a private organization for the procurement of Medical Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) only GH¢10, 003,157 had been accounted for with an outstanding amount of GH¢254,203.00 not accounted for as at 31 December 2020.
“We recommended that management should ensure that the Covid-19 Private Sector Fund account for the total amount of GH¢254,203.00, failing which the total amount of GH¢254,203.00 should be recovered from the Covid-19 Private Sector Fund and same paid to COVID-19 National Trust Fund account,” the reported stated.
119 Donated Billboards Not Put To Use
Contrary to Section 52 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), the AG’s audit disclosed that DDP OUTDOOR limited donated 119 billboards and advertising spaces located at various places valued at GH¢2,621,214.06 for promoting, advertising and communicating to the general public on the awareness of the corona virus and its preventive measures, but the billboards and advertising spaces were not put to use as at 31 December 2020.
The report recommended that Management should ensure that the donated billboards should be put to use.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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