Health Ministry seeks six-month extension to recover over GH¢100K unpaid rent

The Ministry of Health has requested a six-month extension to recover about 100,000 cedis from 19 employees who defaulted on rent payments in 2022.

These staff members were provided official accommodation at Korle Bu and Asylum Down Flats but failed to pay their rent.

The ministry attributes the payment defaults to the failure of the Financial Controller of the Ministry of Finance to submit the required input forms.

During a Public Accounts Committee sitting, the MoH Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation, Emma Ofori Agyemang, stated that only 11,000 cedis of the total amount had been recovered.

She assured the committee that a system was in place to recover the outstanding payments by deducting the rent from employees’ salaries.

“Honourable please, we are still in the process. Because we have put a system in place that going forward the rent will be deducted, we have a draft payment plan for them to recover the remaining beyond the 11,000 that has been settled.

“Honourable please, it won’t go more than six months,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has referred the case involving Joy Gyaten, a driver who failed to deliver a consignment of condoms to the Eastern Regional Medical Stores in 2022, to the police for further investigation.

The goods, approximately three million condoms and other contraceptives are valued at 1.3 million cedis.

According to Emma Ofori Agyemang, the incident was reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the driver was initially arrested but later bailed.

Mrs. Agyemang explained that the driver suffered a stroke and was ill but the ministry is currently collaborating with the CID to ensure a thorough investigation of the case.

She says the docket is currently with the Attorney General’s office, and the ministry is waiting for a response.