The Auditor-General (A-G) has indicted three district assemblies in the Ashanti region for failing to account for GH₵61,762.50 of the District Assemblies‘ Common Fund (DACF) in 2017.
The assemblies, according to the report, failed to attach the requisite expenditure documents to payment vouchers of the said amount.
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The anomaly, the report said was as a result of a weak internal control caused by Coordinating Directors and Finance Officers’ failure to demand the requisite expenditure source documents before authorising the payments.
Under the circumstances, the auditor could not authenticate the transactions which portrayed a potential risk of loss of funds to the assemblies.
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The Auditor-General recommended the
respective Coordinating Directors and Finance Officers refund the total amount
of GH₵61,762.50.
Abandoned/Delayed projects
The Auditor-General’s report found that five assemblies awarded 14 contracts, amounting to GH₵3,886,979.93 scheduled for completion between 2007 and May 2017.
Management in the course of the construction paid a total of GH₵1,530,074.40 to the various contractors.
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However, the report said a visit by auditors to the project site revealed that the 14 projects, which were at various stages of completion, were abandoned by contractors for non-payment of various interim payment certificates.
Meanwhile, 10 of the projects had been abandoned for periods ranging between four to 10 years, whilst the assemblies went ahead to award new projects.
The neglect of the 14 projects due to non-payment by the assemblies could lead to cost overruns to the detriment of other development projects.
“We urged management of the assemblies to ensure that priority is given to the completion of the 14 projects before new ones are awarded,” the Auditor-General recommended.
Source: Ghana|Adomonline.com|Adwoa Gyasiwaa Agyeman