How Auditor-General’s COVID audit understated fumigation spending by over GH¢684 million – Report

The Auditor-General reported just GH¢96.3 million in COVID-19 fumigation expenditure, despite the government spending at least GH¢780 million on the exercise, an investigative report has shown. The report, which was compiled by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awini and titled “Auditing the Auditor-General: How special audit understated a COVID-19 expenditure,” found that the Auditor-General’s figure accounted for only about 12% of the fumigation expenditure uncovered across three ministries. The Ministries of Education, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, and Transport collectively spent about GH¢775 million on fumigation between 2020 and 2022, according to contract documents and information obtained through Right to Information requests. "The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) spent a total of GH¢299 million across three phases of the market fumigation exercise, which it contracted to Zoomlion between April 2020 and November 2020. "The April 2020 contract awarded to Zoomlion to fumigate open markets and other public spaces cost the state GH¢76.6 million," it stated. The report further indicated that the fumigation exercise, for which millions of cedis were spent, was not even backed by science, according to information from Ghana’s scientific community and international COVID-19 guidelines published in the early days of the pandemic. COVID-19: 31 cases recorded in the past week - GHS Scientists who were involved in Ghana’s COVID-19 response questioned the effectiveness of fumigating schools, markets, streets and other public spaces, particularly facilities that had remained closed for several months. “The absence of the Ministry of Local Government's expenditure on fumigation and disinfection in the Auditor-General's Report in question does not mean the expenditure was not audited,” the Ghana Audit Service said in a response to the investigation. The Audit Service also confirmed that it audited Phases One and Two of the Ministry of Education’s COVID-19 expenditure but did not explain why only the second phase, which cost GH¢96.3 million, was presented as the “cost of fumigation” in the special audit. The report further noted that a former Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo, said a special audit of that nature should have included the full expenditure of the money raised for the COVID-19 pandemic. He indicated that the law mandates the Auditor-General to carry out periodic audits of public institutions or special audits when necessary, and Parliament and the President, acting on the advice from the Council of State, can also request special audits. The findings mean at least GH¢684 million in fumigation expenditure was not reflected in the GH¢96.3 million figure reported as the cost of fumigation in the Auditor-General’s special audit. JKB/BAI Kaneshie Road Closure: GARID Officer Explains Traffic Impact and How to Avoid It Source: www.ghanaweb.com
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