Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Abena Osei Asare, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to investigate reported losses linked to the Bank of Ghana’s dealings with the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
According to the former Deputy Finance Minister, the reported losses, estimated at $1.7 billion, require a full explanation to help Ghanaians understand how the funds were lost and what measures can be taken to prevent similar occurrences.
She said the amount involved could have been used to support important sectors of the economy, including the recruitment of nurses.
“We could have used that GH¢22 billion to recruit the nurses,” she said.
Mrs Osei Asare also questioned discrepancies in the figures reportedly recorded by the Bank of Ghana. She claimed that while the central bank recorded GH¢214 billion in losses, only GH¢214 million was reported, and called on the accounting firm that audited the bank’s accounts to clarify the matter.
She further demanded answers from GoldBod over its financial performance, arguing that the organisation should explain why its operations have resulted in such significant losses.
“GoldBod should explain the losses because small gold buying companies don’t even make such losses,” she said.
The Public Accounts Committee Chairperson also called on GoldBod to appear before Parliament to answer questions about its operations and financial management.
She stressed that the demand for accountability was not intended to attack the institution but to help identify ways to improve its performance and ensure that it becomes profitable.
“This is not about GoldBod coming out to insult. Ghanaians are ready to know how we all can help them get the profits,” she said.
She reminded President Mahama of his earlier commitment to close down state-owned companies that are consistently unprofitable while calling on GoldBod to come out and explain the losses to Ghanaians without insults.
“Ghanaians need accountability. Come out and elevate the conversation with no insults,” she told GoldBod.
