Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta says President Nana Akufo- Addo has lived up to his promise of protecting the public purse, claiming he has so far saved the nation some 2.75 billion cedis in contracts.
This, he said, was achieved through the review of contracts awarded by the previous government without following due procurement processes.
Presenting the 2019 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament Monday, the minister observed the Public Procurement Authority made considerable progress in saving the public purse since the Akufo-Addo government assumed office in January 2017.
“Mr Speaker, in a space of 31 months (from January 2017 to July 27th, 2019), by reviewing contracts that were either sole-sourced or procured through restrictive tender, the Akufo-Addo administration has made savings of GH¢2.75 billion (which breaks down to GH¢800 million in 2017, GH¢1.1 billion in 2018, and GH¢1.085 billion in 2019)”, he said.
The finance minister said there is a sharp contrast between the gains of the PPA under the Akufo-Addo-led government and that of the John Mahama-led government which he claimed saved the nation nothing.
According to him, the available statistics show that the Akufo-Addo government have put the taxpayers money to a judicious use as compared to the former government, claiming more contracts have been sole-sourced or awarded under restricted tender in the previous administration.
“When it comes to how taxpayers’ monies have been managed, the facts and figures, Mr Speaker, speak loudly. We believe it is very important on days like this we show to the people of Ghana that this government, their government, the Akufo-Addo government, the New Patriotic Party government, your government spends the taxes you pay for your benefit and for the benefit of the collective”, he said.
Mr. Ofori-Atta said these were in fulfilment of the President’s , then a candidate, promise “to entrench fiscal discipline through the strategic allocation of resources, efficiency in the use of public funds, as well as enhancing transparency and accountability in our management of the public purse”
“Candidate Akufo-Addo promised to protect the public purse and that is exactly what we have been doing at the treasury”, he reiterated.
By 3news.com|Ghana