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Miss Tourism Ghana Princesses attend 10th anniversary celebration of Ghana High Commission in Malta
Miss Tourism Princesses on the dance floor at the celebration
MISS Tourism Ghana and her runners-up were honoured to attend the 10th anniversary celebration of the Ghana Embassy in Malta on August 24, 2024.
The Miss Tourism Princesses are Blandina Sika Gumenu, Miss Tourism Ghana 2023, Nana Ama Brown, 1st Princess, Miss Tourism Ghana 2023, and Jessica Kpendo, 2nd Princess, Miss Tourism Ghana 2023.
The event was a significant milestone in strengthening diplomatic relations between Ghana and Malta.
Her Excellency Barbara Benisa, Ghana’s Ambassador to Malta, invited the reigning tourism ambassadors to attend the memorable event, along with Mark Okraku-Mantey, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, to showcase Ghana’s rich cultural heritage.
The Majority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, also graced the occasion, highlighting the importance of cultural exchange programmes in fostering bilateral relations.
The Miss Tourism Ghana princesses used the opportunity to promote Ghana’s tourism potential, showcasing the country’s vibrant culture, stunning natural beauty, and warm hospitality.
The event was a resounding success, with the Ghanaian community in Malta and Maltese officials alike praising the young ladies for their poise, elegance, and dedication to promoting Ghana’s image abroad.
They expressed appreciation to Her Excellency Barbara Benisa for the invitation, Ambassador Mike Oquaye, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Tang Palace Hotel and Mr. Ernest Pels of Timewise Expo Travel for their unflinching support.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem has today revealed in Parliament that special audit has uncovered over payments for transportation of grains in respect of the dry spell expenditure.
According to the Deputy Minister, Under the Farmer Food Relief and Recovery Programme, a transportation company was contracted to transport 134,000 metric tonnes of maize and rice to farmers across the country at a contract sum of GH¢115.2 million.
Even though the company transported only 35,000 metric tonnes which should have costed GH¢30.9 million, the company was paid GH¢50 million.
In addition to this payment, the company was given 7,311 metric tonnes of rice equivalent to 14,622 bags of 50kg rice, which amounts to GH¢11.7 million in lieu of cash for no work done. This brings total payment to GH¢61.7 million.
As a result, the Auditor-General accordingly rejected an amount of GH¢65.2 million that was requested by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as additional payment to the said transport company.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, has revealed that thousands of tonnes of food supplied under government’s 2024 dry spell intervention cannot be accounted for after a special audit.
According to him, the audit found discrepancies in the supply of rice and maize purchased by the Government of Ghana to support farmers and vulnerable communities affected by the dry spell.
He explained that government paid for 34,000 metric tonnes of rice to help address the impact of the dry spell. However, records from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture show that only 24,000 metric tonnes were received and distributed.
He noted that about 10,000 metric tonnes of rice remain unaccounted for even though the full quantity had already been paid for by the state.
The deputy minister also disclosed that government had contracted a company to supply 100,000 metric tonnes of maize as part of the intervention.
He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture submitted Stores Receipt Advice as proof that the full quantity of maize valued at GH¢771.2 million had been delivered. The document was presented to the Ministry of Finance to facilitate payment.
However, the audit revealed that only 11,900 metric tonnes of maize were actually supplied and distributed.
He further stated that the Stores Receipt Advice used to support the payment was accompanied by a checklist certified by the internal auditor of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The findings form part of a special audit conducted to review government expenditure related to the dry spell response in 2024.
By Jacob Aggrey
