BOST denies buying 18 iPhones for GH₵28 million, says it paid GH₵285,412 instead

The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) has denied claims that it bought 18 iPhone 13 Pro Max smartphones for GH₵28million.

In a statement released on September 30, 2023, BOST said the total cost of the phones was GHS234,000.00, grossed up for taxes at GHS285,412.16.

The statement said the phones were bought in May 2022 for corporate executives to stay in touch with the management information and business intelligence systems of the company for efficient decision-making.

"The reason for the purchase of the devices was to equip the team to stay in touch with the management information and business intelligence systems of the company for efficient decision-making. In the petroleum storage and transportation space, a split second can make the difference between success and failure. The results so far attest to the efficiency of the systems put in place which includes the access points for key members of the team to access processed information for efficient decision-making," the statement said.

"The Twenty-Eight Million, Five Hundred and Forty-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty-One Ghana Cedis (GHS28,541,261.00) in the report may be due to a typographical error of placing the dot(.) two steps to the right which on the face of the document converted the GHS285,412.61 to GHS28,541,261.00," the statement added.

The company urged its stakeholders to reach out to the Corporate Communications Department for any clarification before proceeding to make such statements which in the end could amount to misleading the public.

"The public is hereby entreated to ignore the claim that the company bought eighteen (18) phones at 28 million. It is both erroneous and mischievous".

Read the entire statement below;

BOST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RE: BOST BUYS EIGHTEEN (18) IPHONES AT TWENTY-EIGHT MILLION GHANA CEDIS (GHS28 MILLION)

Accra-September 30, 2023-The Bulk Energy Storage and Transportation Limited Company has noted with dismay a section of a procurement report making rounds in the traditional and social media space claiming the company bought 18 iPhones at a cost of Twenty-Eight Million, Five Hundred and Forty-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty-One Ghana Cedis (GHS28,541,261.00) for some critical officers of the company,

We would like to respond to the misinformation as follows:

1. The company bought eighteen (18) pieces of iPhone 13 Pro Max phones for our corporate executives in May 2022.

2. The total cost of the phones stood at Two Hundred and Thirty-Four Thousand Ghana Cedis (234,000.00) grossed up for taxes at Two Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand, Four Hundred and Twelve Ghana Cedis, Sixteen Pesewas (GHS285,412.16).

3. The amount is captured in the financial reports of the company and the Auditor General who audits the company, at least over the past three years, vetted the decision and the value and made no adverse findings about same.

4. The reason for the purchase of the devices was to equip the team to stay in touch with the management information and business intelligence systems of the company for efficient decision making. In the petroleum storage and transportation space, a split second can make the difference between success and failure. The results so far attest to the efficiency of the systems put in place which includes the access points for key members of the team to access processed information for efficient decision making.

5. The Twenty-Eight Million, Five Hundred and Forty-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty-One Ghana Cedis (GHS28,541,261.00) in the report may be due to a typographical error of placing the dot(.) two steps to the right which on the face of the document converted the GHS285,412.61 to GHS28,541,261.00

6. The public is hereby entreated to ignore the claim that the company bought eighteen (18) phones at 28 million. It is both erroneous and mischievous. 7. The information is available on the website of the Public Procurement Authority through the link below

https://tenders.ppa.gov.ph/contracts/12301

8. We would urge our stakeholders who stumble upon bits and pieces of information on the

company to reach out to the Corporate Communications Department for any clarification before proceeding to make such statements which in the end could amount to misleading the public. This is unpardonable in a right to information regime where Ministries, Departments

and Agencies, MDAs, are by law required to provide information stakeholders may require for their purposes.

9. May God bless our homeland Ghana.

Corporate Communications and External Affairs Department

Head Office

30 Gulf Street,

South Legon, Accra.