Policy on sale of govt bungalows scrapped
The policy that allows public officers to purchase state bungalows allocated to them as official residences has been scrapped by President John Dramani Mahama.
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The move, according to the Presidency forms part of a series of administrative actions initiated in the fight against corruption.
In addition, government officials will no longer be able to purchase state vehicles assigned to them for official use.
Disposal of aged government vehicles are to be publicly and transparently done.
President Mahama who made this known, said the Chief of Staff has been instructed accordingly not to grant any request in that direction.
Speaking at a meeting with the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and its anti-corruption partners, at the Flagstaff House in Accra Friday, the President said a scheme is being discussed under which senior Public Officials will be able to acquire their own vehicles under hire purchase from vehicle dealerships.
The meeting with the anti-corruption bodies formed part of routine meetings with civil society organisations by the President.
Opposition political parties and their agents have accused the President of not doing enough to tackle corruption in the wake of some media reports of corrupt activities among public officials in recent times.
But the President maintains that he was doing his best to strengthen institutions to check corruption and called on the public not to sympathise with persons caught to have engaged in corruption.
At the meeting with the anti-corruption bodies, President Mahama announced a number of directives.
Accra Redevelopment Policy
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources is to present a plan within two weeks for ensuring transparency under the Accra Redevelopment Policy.
The Minister is also expected to publish the names of all beneficiaries of the policy by December 16, 2013 as well as review all the transactions involved in the implementation of the policy within three months.
GYEEDA
The Minister for Youth and Sports has been instructed by the President to suspend with immediate effect, all payments under all the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) contracts, except the payment of arrears to workers up to the end of the year.
The Minister is to complete the review of all modules and accompanying contracts by December 15 and before December 31, 2013, cancel all contracts that do not pass the “value for money” test.
He is also to place a moratorium on the creation of new modules under GYEEDA.
Wrongful payments
The Minister for Justice and Attorney–General, Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Minister of Finance are also to work with the Minister for Youth and Sports to secure refunds of monies wrongfully paid to or appropriated by any individuals or companies from contracts with SADA, GYEEDA, and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and to retrieve the monies wrongfully paid to Waterville and Isofoton by December 31.
They are also to initiate legal action against the individuals or companies to secure the refunds and/or to punish them for wrongdoing.
“I just received this morning, an update from the boss of EOCO on the status of their investigations. I have asked EOCO to make that update known to the public in order for the public to know what action is being taken”.
“I have instructed the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General to expedite work on the GYEEDA Bill for submission to Parliament. The Bill is expected to ensure proper oversight, efficiency in management of GYEEDA,” President Mahama said.
Subah Infosolutions
The President also said the Minister for Finance and Minister for Justice and Attorney-General have been instructed to review and advice on a suspension of the contract with Subah Infosolutions seeing us the contract was not signed by the appropriate authorized Government representative.
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Other directives includes re -registration with GV number plates of all government vehicles to proceed in earnest and be completed by March 2014.
Sole sourcing
All MDAs are to present justification for application for any sole sourcing to cabinet for scrutiny before submission to the PPA
Any contracts above GHc 5million recurring in multiple budgets must be made public through publication in the newspaper or on the new contract management database portals to be launched soon.