The Chairman of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Honorable James Klutse-Avedzi has ordered the Municipal Chief Executive (DCE) of East Gonja Municipal Assembly, Honorable Richard Broni and his management team to promptly settle an outstanding debt of Ghc 92,704.50 owed to M/S Saliha Enterprise.

This debt according to the Member of Parliament for Ketu North Constituency in the Volta Region stems from the construction of a 3-unit classroom block at Kigbatito in 2016 by the East Gonja Municipal Assembly.

According to Honorable Avedzi, the Auditor-General’s findings on the Management and Utilization of the District Assemblies Common Fund and Other Statutory Funds for the 2022 year period revealed that the East Gonja Municipal Assembly contracted M/S Saliha Enterprise for the construction project at a total sum of Ghc 133,704.50.

However, Honorable Avedzi noted with deep concerns that per the Auditor General’s report, the Assembly has paid only Ghc 41,000.00 to the M/S Saliha Enterprise for the work it did, leaving a substantial balance unpaid.

“The East Gonja Municipal per the Auditor-General’s report has failed to honor its debt obligation to M/S Saliha Enterprise since 2016 that the company undertook the project. The delay in a payment in all sincerity does not promote local businesses. There is therefore an urgent need on the part of the assembly to pay the debt”
Honorable James Klutse Avedzi, Chairman, Parliament Public Account Committee

Commenting on the Auditor-General’s caution that failure to settle the outstanding debt could result in legal repercussions for the Assembly, the Chairman for the Public Account Committee of Parliament, Honorable James Klutse-Avedzi emphasized the urgency of the matter.

He thus instructed that the Municipal Chief Executive of the East Gonja Municipal, Honorable Richard Broni and the Assembly’s Accountant to expedite communication with the contractor and ensure the immediate settlement of the outstanding amount, including accrued interest.

Malfunctioning of Zoomlion Company’s Equipment

Furthermore, the Honorable James Klutse Avedzi expressed deep concerns over reports regarding malfunctioning of some sanitary equipments belonging to Zoomlion Ghana Limited in the five regions in the north.

In an impassionate call for action, the Member of Parliament for Ketu North cautioned Zoomlion Ghana Limited concerning complaints of malfunctioning skip trucks and damaged containers reported by several District and Municipal Assemblies under the Service Agreement on Sanitation Improvement.

He emphasized the urgent need for Zoomlion to undertake measures to repair such equipments to ensure that the various assemblies in the five regions in the north are able to carry out their responsibilities relating to sanitation.

The Chairman for the Public Account Committee of Parliament, Honorable James Klutse-Avedzi concluded his remarks by expressing gratitude to all stakeholders, including Committee Members, Municipal and District Chief Executives, Heads of Institutions, Auditors, and supporting staff of the Parliamentary Service, for their contributions to the successful conclusion of the Zone 1 Public Hearing.

Honorable James Klutse Avedzi made the above remarks during the final day of the Zone 1 Public Hearing held in Tamale, where the Committee deliberated on the Auditor-General’s Report on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Technical University and Polytechnics for the period ended 31st December 2022.

The Public Hearing, which spanned five regions, namely Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East, and Upper West, saw the participation of various District and Municipal Assemblies, including Bole, North Gonja, Sawla Tuna Kalba, Gushiegu, Tolon, and Yendi.

Moreover, several schools cited in the Auditor-General’s Report, such as Dagbon SHTS, Kpandai SHS, NMTC Kpembe, Yamba Special School, and Zabzugu SHS, were summoned to address queries raised.