We have only one consultant - Deloitte and Touche

Deloitte and Touche West Africa, a financial consulting firm, says it has only one consultant working in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Regional Co-operation in his individual capacity.

"The consultant is seconded in his individual capacity and the services to the ministry are free of charge," Mr Olu Sawyerr, a managing partner of the accounting and auditing, management consulting and tax service firm told a press conference in Accra on Thursday.

Mr Sawyerr denied that there are five consultants, explaining that four of their professionals had earlier on been engaged with other consultants to track poverty reduction activities, a work which was completed in May.

The press conference was called to react to an article in a private weekly, the Ghana Palaver that imputed that Dr Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration, had engaged five consultants from DTWAC. The Minister is a former senior partner in Deloitte and Touche.

Mr Sawyerr said the company did not expect to make any immediate or future financial gain through the work that the consultant was presently doing, emphasising that the firm still pays the consultant salary.

"The only benefit that would accrue to the company is the experience that the consultant would gain working in a public sector," he said.

The firm, he said, had since 1996 pursued a policy of not directly seeking engagements in the public sector in order to insulate it from unacceptable business practices associated with the sector.

Mr Sawyerr said the firm had to review its policy in line with the change in the business environment so as to be proactive to the needs of the private sector.

He said there was no conflict of interest since Dr Nduom gave up his involvement in the firm when he accepted political office and his share in the firm is currently being held in trust.

"It is a requirement, both from government and from Deloitte and Touche, that he cannot benefit from the firm during his tenure of public office," Mr Sawyerr added.