Transport Minister wants GPHA’s €165k written off after German consultant dies

The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, wants the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament to write off an amount of €165,000 as bad debt from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) books.

According to the 2017 report of the Auditor General on public boards, GPHA in 2011 entered into an agreement with an offshore company, SCHEEPSBOUW NOORD, for the construction and delivery of Pilot Launch Boat.

GPHA subsequently paid €165,000 out of the total contract sum of €1.1 million but the company for the past nine years has failed to honour its part of the contract obligation.

Appearing before PAC sitting Wednesday, September 9, sector minister Ofori Asiamah said the German agent, who served as consultant, is dead and his associates cannot be traced to retrieve the monies paid for the project and GPHA has spent a lot on travels and other expenses to get the money.

Chairman of PAC James Kluste Avedzi, however, ordered the Ministry and GPHA to furnish the committee with all the expenses made as part of efforts to retrieve the money from the company to inform their decision on the subject matter.