The Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, Samuel Atta Akyea, has dismissed claims of Ghanaians being shortchanged in the contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) as mere propaganda.
SML, responding to an investigative report by the Fourth Estate in December 2023, refuted assertions of a 10-year contract, clarifying that it has a 5-year contract instead.
Additionally, SML denied allegations of extracting $100 million annually from the contract.
During a fact-finding visit to the Tema division of SML, Atta Akyea cautioned against hasty branding of the deal as a conduit for political bribery.
He emphasized the need to await the findings from President Akufo-Addo’s initiative and engage formally based on KPMG’s assessment.
“The committee is very careful not to prejudice what President Akufo-Addo is trying to do. Let Jubilee House come out with their findings based on what KPMG will say, we will engage them formally. What I hate is to try and do propaganda when you don’t have the facts and that is what some people are doing.
“A lot of people don’t have any clue as to what these individuals, this company is doing, yet they come to conclusions and for me, that is very sad. You have not even gone to their data room to see what they are monitoring and the world-class audit they are doing, and you come to the conclusion that this is a conduit for political bribery and all the kinds of things people might want to say, it leaves much to be desired. Those who are interested in knowing the truth will know.”
In an interaction with journalists, the Director of Support Services at SML, Yaa Serwaa Sarpong said the contract has assisted the GRA in fully actualising the potential of tax revenue on petroleum products in the downstream petroleum.
“We are helping GRA to fully actualise the potential of tax revenue on petroleum products in the downstream. We have brought in check meters,” she said.
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