Information Ministry Defends ¢151k Covid-19 Risk Allowance for Staff.
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SOURCE: Myjoyonline.com
The Ministry of Information has defended the payment of over 150 thousand Ghana cedis to staff who worked during the Covid-19 lockdown. This comes after the Auditor-General raised concerns in his report on Covid-19 transactions from March 2020 to June 2022, questioning the justification for such remuneration.
The Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, directed the Information Ministry to refund the ¢151,500 paid to its management and staff without proper approval. The report stated, “During our review, we noted that senior management staff and other supporting staff of the Ministry of Information paid themselves a total amount of GH¢151,500.00 as COVID-19 risk allowance for coming to work during the lockdown.”
However, Mawuli Segbefia, the Director of Finance and Monitoring at the Ministry of Information, clarified that the money was intended to motivate staff. According to Segbefia, “the allowances were part of the plan that was submitted to the Ministry of Health for approval.”
Key points:
- The Ministry of Information defended the payment of ¢151,500 to staff who worked during the Covid-19 lockdown.
- The Auditor-General questioned the basis for this remuneration and directed the ministry to refund the amount.
- The Director of Finance and Monitoring at the Ministry of Information explained that the allowances were meant to motivate staff who reported to work daily during the lockdown.
- The allowances were part of a plan submitted to the Ministry of Health for approval.
