The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has come under intense scrutiny from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the duplication of GH¢3.217 billion in claims and commitments that had already been settled by the Ministry of Finance.
The issue was highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report, which has triggered heightened scrutiny following the recent rejection of several payables across various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
When officials from the Energy Ministry appeared before the PAC, they were grilled on why the already-paid amount was resubmitted as part of the ministry’s claims.
Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Richard Gyan-Mensah, explained that the duplication occurred because the Energy Ministry had not been notified when the Ministry of Finance made the earlier payment.
However, Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Akwasi Konadu, sharply criticised the explanation, insisting that it is the responsibility of the Energy Ministry to proactively verify the status of its claims before submitting them to avoid such errors.
“You did not find it necessary to find out whether the payables you sent had been relinquished or paid and you are using the position of the Ministry of Finance not coming to you as a justification. I think that is not right. We have to be proactive,” Konadu stated.
He warned that such lapses, especially in the wake of several rejected payables, must not be allowed to continue.
“All these inclusion that has been rejected, that they so claim, if we do not let the process run and let them (technocrats) appreciate what they ought to be doing, we will be faced with this again in 2029,” he added.