Proceedings at the Public Account Committee of Parliamentary today, Monday January 29, 2024, stalled temporary when the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, was asked when did he attain the age of 60.
The GRA boss, who attained the age of retirement two years ago, has been on contract at the behest of the Finance Ministry.
So far, he has done two years of what has not been clearly defined by elements in the Akufo-Addo government, some of which, appear to be playing ball with him over some Revenue Assurance deals, especially the multimillion-dollar Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contract.
The question by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Sam George, was least expected by the Commissioner-General and it literally shook him.
For a long while, he was mute and suddenly all the microphones also went off as members of the committee stood in awe waiting for an indication when proceedings could kick-start.
The Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei Asare, under whose ambit the GRA boss was appearing before the committee to answer some infractions, jumped to his defence, but the chairman of the committee, James Klutse Avedzi, insisted that the Commissioner General answered the question.
The chairman said Rev. Dr Owusu-Amoah was a public servant and therefore there was nothing wrong with the question.
But the deputy finance minister, said the question was personal and should not be allowed to fly.
While the back and forth was ongoing, the deputy finance minister, moved towards the chair as all the microphones went dead silent.
Sitting was suspended for 45 minutes to address the issue backstage and address the sudden microphones challenge.
Last week President Nana Akufo-Addo rejected a request by the GRA to allow it to continue the running of the SML system to enhance revenue assurance.
A statement signed by Eugene Arhin, the director of communications at the Office of the President said “President Akufo-Addo has taken note of the request made by GRA, asking for the monitoring system installed and used by SML to continue, notwithstanding the suspension of its GRA-related operations”
“The president has denied GRA’s request, and has directed that the status quo, with respect to the suspension of the performance of the contract, should remain in effect until the completion of the audit and, subsequent, submission of the audit report by KPMG,” the statement said.
President Akufo-Addo earlier this month appointed audit and accounting firm, KPMG, to audit the SML contract and submit a report in two weeks.
But this has been extended to 23 February following a request by KPMG.
According to the president, the extension is to ensure a more comprehensive report.
“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has extended the period within which KPMG is to complete its audit on the transaction between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML), from the initial date of Tuesday, 16th January 2024, to a new date of Friday, 23rd February 2024.”
But there are doubts about the objectivity of KPMG, which has been running jobs for the government, and many argue that the profit-making company will not want to jeopardize its financial arrangements with the Finance Ministry, especially when the contract involved, was at the behest of Ken Ofori-Atta, the finance minister and cousin of the President.
