Hawa Koomson Budget: 'Mistake' explanation doesn't wash – Amissah-Arthur

Former Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has said he does not believe there was any mistake in the controversial GHS1billion budget of the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives, as explained by sector minister Mavis Hawa Koomson.

In the ministry’s budget, which was approved by parliament, 275 ambulances will be procured at a unit cost of GHS354,750 totaling GHS97,556,250.

Fifty warehouses would be constructed at a unit cost of GHS1,652,469 totaling GHS82,623,480.

Also, 1000 solar-powered mechanical boreholes would be constructed at a unit cost of GHS132,000 totaling GHS132,000,000.

Additionally, 1000 “water closet institutional toilets with mechanised boreholes and solar panels” would be constructed at a unit cost of GHS187,000 totaling GHS187,000,000.

Fifty micro-enterprises would also be constructed at a unit cost of GHS550,000 totaling GHS 27,500,000.

Below are the rest of the items in the budget approved for the ministry led by Mavis Hawa Koomson:

275 projects at a unit cost of GHS1,100,000 totaling GHS302,500,000

Construction of 100 markets at a unit cost of GHS1,100,000 totaling GHS110,000,000

Internal Management or Organisations totaling GHS8,600,000

Hiring of office accommodation for Middle Belt and Coastal Belt Development Authority and Regional Offices totaling GHS15,000,000

Legal and Administrative Framework Review – GHS1000,000

Maintenance, Rehabilitation and Refurbishment – GHS3000,000

Procurement of Office Furniture and Fixtures – GHS6,500,000

Local and International Affiliation – GHS2,500,000

Procurement of Office Supplies and Consumables – GHS3,000,000

Tendering Activities – GHS759,970

Treasury and Accounting Activities – GHS500,000

Procurement of Computers and Accessories – GHS1,500,000

Manpower Skill Development – GHS3,500,000

Foreign Training – GHS2,000,000

Planning and Policy Formulation – GHS3,500,000

Policies and Programme Review Activities – GHS1,500,000

Publication and Decimination of Policies and Programmes – GHS500,000

Development and Management of Database – GHS400,000

Research and Development – GHS1,000,000

Development of Website – GHS800,000

Budget Preparation – GHS2,000,000

Budget Performance Reporting – GHS500,000

Management and Monitoring of Policies and Projects – GHS3,000,000

Ms Koomson has explained that the GHS800,000 allocation for the website was a mistake. It was rather GHS80,000, she explained.

However, Mr Amissah-Arthur told Accra-based Joy News' Central Regional Correspondent, Richard Kwadwo Nyarko on Saturday that: “The explanations I am getting, I don’t accept them because even if it was a mistake, the total should have reflected that but that is not the case.”

To him, technocrats at the Ministry of Finance should be blamed for the bloat.

“If they did not do their work well, I will not excuse them.”