Listeners of the ‘Fabewoso’ segment of Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’ were thrown into a state of shock and utter dismay when host of the show, Captain Smart read out how the Bank of Ghana is ‘begging’ UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to refund into their coffers an amount of five thousand, five hundred and sixteen pounds, eighty shillings (£5,516.80) which it erroneously transferred to it.
“The Ministry has written to the DFID to refund the excess amount of £5,516.80 into the ISP account…,” Captain Smart quoted the Director of Finance and Administration as commenting in the 2012 Auditor General’s report.
He divulged that the BoG have had to resort to this strategy after it caused a transfer of an amount of £562,545.47 instead of the £557,028.67 Ghana received from the DFID to be given to the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations for them to compile a data on the unemployment situation in the country.
According to the 2012 Auditor General’s report, the DFID ordered the transfer of the amount it offered as a grant to the Ministry for that purpose.
However, the DFID called for the re-transfer of the cash after observing that for a year and seven months, the money had been allowed to sit idle in the Ministry’s accounts and was never utilized for the stated purpose.
“Following the inability of the Ministry to utilize a total financial support of £557,028.67 provided by the Department for International Development (DFID) of Britain for the implementation of the Ministry’s programmes under the Institutional Strengthening Plan (ISP), we observed that the DFID, on 2 October 2012 requested that the amount of £557,028.67 be transferred back,” the report said.
Interestingly after the Ministry gave the green light to for the BoG to cause the transfer of the money to DFID, the BoG transferred an amount of £562,545.47 instead of the £557,028.67 Ghana received from the DFID.
This meant there was an excess payment of £5,516.80.
“The Bank of Ghana however erroneously transferred £562,545.47 to the DFID instead of £557,028.67, giving rise to an excess payment of £5,516.80…,” the report said further.
The excess payment of £5,516.80, the report added ‘registered a shortfall in the amount required to make a final payment to a consultant (the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research of University of Ghana) working on a similar project under the ISP.’
Realising the anomaly, the Auditor General said it urged management to notify the DFID about the overpayment and ensure that the amount was recovered and paid back into the ISP account to enable the ministry settle the consultant’s accounts.
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