Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Abena Osei-Asare, has instructed the Ministry of Health to provide documentation for a payment of GHS802,725 made towards the proposed construction of a CHPS compound at Kwanyako in Asuogyaman.
At a PAC sitting in Accra on Monday, September 29, Osei-Asare questioned why such a large capital expenditure was not supported by records when reviewed by the Auditor-General.
“This is a capital expenditure item. Before you make any payment, the relevant documents must be attached for the payment to go through,” she said, describing the omission as unacceptable and damaging to accountability.
She added, “It is a must that when you make payments, you get your receipt to show proof. When auditors come — especially for a capital expenditure item — all the necessary documents should be present.”
Responding to the Committee, Daniel Nsiah from the Ministry’s Financial Reporting and Monitoring Department explained that the issue stemmed from the government’s electronic payment system, GIFMIS.
According to him, although the GHS802,725 transaction was processed through the official treasury system, the platform does not automatically generate traditional receipts. “When the auditors come and you show them the swift advice, they don’t accept it as a receipt,” he noted.
Nsiah admitted that the Ministry did not initially obtain a receipt from the contractor but assured the Committee that steps are being taken to secure the required documentation.
The matter arose during PAC’s review of the Auditor-General’s report, which flagged the transaction as an unsupported payment.
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