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$65m GARID fund was misapplied – Ato Forson
The Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, has alleged that $65 million of the $200 million allocated for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID) was misused.
Despite the Minority’s strong opposition, Parliament approved an additional $150 million loan facility from the World Bank for the GARID project on Friday, May 17, 2024.
In an interview with Bernard Avle on The Point of View on Citi TV, Dr. Forson stated that the funds earmarked for COVID-19 expenditure were misappropriated.
The Minority Leader criticised the Ministry of Works and Housing for failing to provide a detailed account of the expenditure to Parliament.
“Someone somewhere is trying to distort the facts, but there’s the need for us to correct the records. And let Ghanaians be aware of what exactly the situation is. So far, they have drawn down almost $180 million out of the $200 million loan. Unfortunately, even though they had drawn down almost $180 million, the amount has been misappropriated or misapplied,” he said.
The minority leader said, “For example, $65 million of the GARID loan that was supposed to be used for the purposes of killing the floods was misapplied for the purposes of COVID-19 expenditure.”
“Yet, we don’t have the breakdown of the COVID-19 expenditure. We were told that unlike a typical World Bank facility, where a project implementation unit would have been established, and payments made directly to the contractors, in this case, the amount was paid into the Ministry of Works and Housing’s account, and the Ministry has failed to account to Parliament how much money that they have spent from that account,” he noted.
He recalled how some individuals sent to the Odaw River reported no work done at the site after they were informed that $32 million was used for dredging.
“Only $32 million was the only amount they could account for, which for us, was concerning. Another $43m was supposedly used to dredge the Odaw River. When our guys went to the site, it was obvious that nothing of the sort had been done. And some of the contractors our guys spoke to at the site said they were asked to be at the site just last week. Even though they have paid for mobilisation years ago,” he said.
He noted “We had serious concerns until we got the government or Ministry to account for what they have used the money for, there was no way we were going to approve additional loan.”
Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho West, and the Minority Leader have called for a forensic audit of the World Bank’s country office and the GARID project.
They argued that the project should have been implemented in phases rather than its current compounded manner.
On Monday, May 20, the Ministry issued a statement stating that it has responsibly managed the $200 million allocated for its operations.
The Ministry disclosed that as of March 2024, $127.12 million had been utilised, with $65 million allocated to support COVID-19 related expenses under the Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC), a component agreed upon with the World Bank and included in the Project Appraisal Document.
Source : Citinewsroom.com
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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There is strength in diversity; let’s live in peace – Zanetor Rawlings urges Ghanaians
Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has urged Ghanaians, especially the youth, to value the peace the country enjoys and to see diversity as a source of strength.
Speaking at the National Youth Conference held at the Pentecost Convention Centre under the theme “Igniting Potential; Inspiring Change”, she warned against being lured into conflicts and divisions fueled by reckless statements from politicians, traditional leaders, religious figures, or academics.
According to her, many young people have no idea what it means to live in a country torn apart by war, and therefore must not take Ghana’s peace for granted.
She stressed that the harmony among different ethnic and regional groups should be protected at all costs, since it is peace that allows citizens to gather freely and safely.
Dr. Zanetor said Ghana’s development depends on embracing diversity and working together.
She urged the youth to tap into this strength so that Ghana would continue to shine as the “Black Star” of Africa and serve as an example for other nations.
She expressed appreciation to the participants for attending the conference and asked for God’s blessings on the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
