Auditor-General Queries Trade Ministry for Payment of Judgement Debts

The Auditor General Department has queried the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the payment of judgement debts of a total amount of GH¢458,000 to three persons which were not budgeted.

The unbudgeted judgement debts included a GH?100,000.00 part payment of debts for failure to pay an end-of-service benefit and trip allowance to an employee, Ms Esther Ofori, on July 6, 2017.

A payment of judgement debts of GH?58,000.00 for default in rent payments to Ebusuapayini Joseph Kweku Eshu, on June 27, 2017 and payment of GH? 300,000.00 to Seth K. Dotse, on July 5, 2017, for ruling and compliance of court order and for wrongful dismissal, all totalling GH?458,000.00.

The Auditor- General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo, in his 2018 annual Audit Report to Parliament, recommended to management of the ministry to strictly spend within its approved expenditure by Parliament.

In a similar vein, the Auditor-General has also directed the Ministry of Trade and Industry to recover the amount of GH?100,000.00 granted to the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to support its operations in June 2017, which should have been recovered by December 2018, but had not been recovered at the close of 2018 financial year.

According to Regulation 110 of the Financial Administration Regulations, 2004, a head of department or the officer to whom the duties of head of department have been delegated in accordance with Regulation 109, shall ensure that advances issued are duly recovered in accordance with the appropriate agreement.

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