PAC PRESSES HEALTH MINISTRY TO JUSTIFY GHS802K CHPS PROJECT PAYMENT

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Ministry of Health to produce documentation to justify a payment of GHS802,725 made for the proposed construction of a Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound at Kwanyako in the Asuogyaman District.

At a sitting in Accra on Monday, September 29, PAC Chairperson, Abena Osei-Asare, raised concerns that such a significant capital expenditure lacked supporting records during the Auditor-General’s review.

“This is a capital expenditure item. Before you make any payment, the relevant documents must be attached for the payment to go through,” she stressed, describing the omission as unacceptable and a blow to accountability.

Officials from the Ministry explained that the payment, though processed through the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), did not generate traditional receipts. Daniel Nsiah of the Financial Reporting and Monitoring Department admitted that no contractor’s receipt was initially obtained but assured the Committee that steps are underway to secure one.

The issue surfaced during PAC’s examination of the Auditor-General’s report, which flagged the transaction as an unsupported payment.