The Office of the President has stated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is not obligated to make a full disclosure of the KPMG Audit Report on the revenue assurance contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML). According to the Office, the report contains opinions, advice, deliberations, and recommendations integral to the President's deliberative process, qualifying as exempt information under Section 5(1)(a) and (b)(i) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Responding to a request by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) for a copy of the full Audit Report, the Office emphasized that the President had already published the principal findings and recommendations of the Report in a detailed press statement on April 24, earlier this year. The statement reiterated the President's commitment to informing the public while adhering to statutory restrictions on specific disclosures.
Section 5(1)(a) and (b)(i) of the RTI Act exempts information prepared for or submitted to the President or Vice President, containing opinions, advice, deliberations, recommendations, minutes, or consultations from disclosure. The Office stressed that revealing such information would compromise the integrity of the deliberative process by disclosing thought processes, considerations, and influences on decision-making reserved for the highest offices of the land.
The KPMG Audit was initiated by the President following public criticism and was aimed at evaluating the revenue assurance contract between GRA and SML, intended to enhance revenue assurance in various sectors, including the downstream petroleum sector and minerals and metals resources value chain.
The audit revealed several irregularities, including the absence of parliamentary approval for multi-year contracts, deviations from procurement procedures, and the engagement of SML without approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA). Despite these findings, the Ministry of Finance, GRA, and SML entered into a Revenue Assurance Services Contract in 2023, extending the scope of SML's services to include upstream petroleum and minerals audit.
In light of these revelations, the President directed a review of the contract for downstream petroleum audit services, particularly focusing on fee structures and compliance with legal standards. The directives also called for monitoring SML's performance in any renegotiated contracts to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
The Office of the President emphasized that the President's directives were based on the findings and recommendations presented by KPMG and aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability, and adherence to procurement regulations.
