Forestry Commission hit by GH¢51m debt

The 2021 Auditor General's Report has cited the Forestry Commission (FC) for making a loss of GH¢ 51 million mainly in the area of goods and services.

The figure covered the cost of uniforms and equipment for the Youth in Afforestation Programme.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Commission, John Allotey, confirmed this before the Public Accounts committee of Parliament on Wednesday.

The report also indicated that the youth in afforestation were being owed allowances over one year.

The last payment for the youth was made in May last year.

Payment of arrears

Mr Allotey said the commission was making frantic efforts to pay the outstanding balance but that would be contingent on how early the Ministry of Finance released the funds.

The Chairman of the Committee, Dr James Klutse Avedzi, asked the CEO what benefit Ghana was deriving from the programme.

Mr Allotey said the youth helped to plant trees and protect the boundaries of the commission.

The report said some companies that the commission had done business with had an outstanding debt of GH¢6.1 million to pay the commission .

Responding, Mr Allotey said GH¢3.2 million had been collected from the companies, some of which were now defunct.

Land commission

The report also cited the Lands Commission for failing to obtain the title deeds from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for a GHS¢2 million residential property it acquired from it.

But the Deputy Executive Secretary (Corporate Services) of the Lands Commission, Jones Ofori-Boadu, said a process had been initiated, and indeed was far advanced to get the necessary documentation.

He assured the committee of getting the documents ready within the next three months.