Parliamentary committee to begin public hearing into Covid-19 expenditure

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The Parliamentary Health Committee is expected to begin a public hearing on the Covid-19 expenditure.

Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who announced this, said the hearing will commence on February 7, 2023.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the Ajuamko Anyan-Essiam MP said the hearing follows an engagement with the Health and Finance Committees.

“At that point, we will pay due diligence to the duties given to us by the people of Ghana,” he added.

It is expected to be the first meeting of the Committee as Parliament resumes sitting on the same day.

This comes on the back of the Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu’s audit report on the covid-19 expenditure between March 2020 to June 2022.

The audit report cited many infractions by the Health Ministry with regards to how money was spent at the peak of the disease.

Payment of a total of US$607,419.02 out of US$4,049,460.12 for procurement of 26 ambulances which were not delivered, payment of unapproved ¢151,500 by the Information Ministry to its own staff as covid insurance, payment of $80m worth of vaccines by government which was not delivered were some of the infractions cited in the report.

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COVID-19: 26 ambulances bought for $4m yet to be supplied – Auditor-General’s Report

COVID-19: $81m worth of vaccines paid for not delivered – Auditor-General’s report

In addition, over a million doses of vaccines received at the National Cold Room and issued to user facilities also expired in the various Districts and Regions.

The report said the Programmes Manager explained that the 1,022,348 vaccines were donated vaccines that were delivered to them close to expiry.