The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Ministry of Health to provide proof of payment for GH¢802,725 disbursed towards the construction of a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound at Kwanyako in Asuogyaman.
At a sitting in Accra on Monday, September 29, PAC Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare expressed concern over the absence of documentation to support such a significant capital expenditure flagged 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 stressed, describing the omission as unacceptable and harmful to accountability.
Read Also: Police, Parliament, Judiciary Among Institutions Fined GH¢5.6m for RTI Violations – Corruption Watch
She further noted: “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 of the Ministry’s Financial Reporting and Monitoring Department explained that the transaction was processed through the government’s electronic payment system, GIFMIS, which does not automatically generate conventional receipts.
“When the auditors come and you show them the swift advice, they don’t accept it as a receipt,” he said, admitting that the Ministry failed to initially secure a receipt from the contractor. Nsiah assured the Committee that steps are now being taken to obtain the required documentation.
The issue emerged during PAC’s review of the Auditor-General’s report, which flagged the payment as unsupported.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem