Auditor-General indicts GEPA over spent GH¢16.83 million without approved budget

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has been queried for spending GH¢16.83 million without an approved budget from the period 2017-2019.

This was contained in the 2019 Auditor-General Report on Public Boards, Corporations and other Statutory Institutions.

According to the Auditor General report, the said amount was spent on administrative and operational activities.

The Auditor-General has therefore urged the Executive Secretary to seek retrospective approval from Parliament for the spent amount, to avoid disallowance and surcharge sanctions.

The report also noted that GEPA received a total amount of GH¢15.73 million from the Exim Bank for export development but the funds were disbursed without any approved budget.

“We entreated the Authority to seek retrospective approval from Parliament for the utilisation of Exim Bank funds and inform us accordingly”, it said.

The Acting Director of Finance was also faulted for failing to prepare and submit to the Auditor-General for it to validate and certify the financial statements for the years 2017 and 2018.

The report, therefore, urged the Executive Secretary to ensure that the Ag. Director of Finance prepares and submits to the Auditor-General for validation and certification, the financial statements for the years 2017 and 2018.

Continuing, the report said, “we noted that management did not prequalify four Travel and Tour Companies before engaging them in ticket transactions amounting to GH¢316,103.54.”

“We recommended that Management should ensure that all business entities meet the statutory prequalification criteria outlined in section 21 of the Public Procurement Act before they are considered for businesses”, it said.