It has emerged that the Communications Ministry has spent more than GH¢2 million of its Internally Generated Funds (IGF), without Parliamentary approval.
According to the Auditor-General’s (A-G) report for 2018, the amount represents 84% of the total IGF by the Ministry.
The Ministry, according to the report, paid GH¢400,000 representing 16% of the monies collected between January and December 2017 into the Consolidated Fund account.
It then retained “GH¢2,094,002.07 representing 84% and utilised it without seeking Parliamentary approval.”
This, according to the report, breaches the Financial Administration Regulations passed in 2014.
The law states that “all public [sic] money collected shall be paid in gross into the Public Funds Accounts and no disbursement shall be made from the money collected except as provided by an enactment.”
“Any person who makes payment from money collected in contravention of sub-regulation (1) is in breach of financial discipline as defined in Regulation.”
However, the Auditor-General’s report says the management of the Ministry in its response said, they utilised that part of the Internally Generated Fund due to inadequate budgetary allocation.
The A-G has, however, recommended that management of the Ministry refunds the total amount spent without approval into the Consolidated Fund Account.
“We advised management to desist from the use of IGF without Parliamentary approval,” the report said.
What else did the report say?
The Auditor-General has meanwhile, recommended that an embargo be placed on the allowances of deceased pensioners.
This follows the revelation that more than GH¢236, 000 were wrongfully withdrawn by relatives of deceased pensioners.
The A-G, Daniel Domelevo in his report noted that the disbursement of monies to the accounts of the deceased pensioners is birthed from the failure of the relatives of the deceased notify the Municipal Treasury Departments of their passing.
The report has recommended that the said relatives should refund the monies.