Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu in the Volta Region is demanding answers from the government on how some GHS39 million was spent in excess of the approved budget for contingency in the COVID-19 fight.

According to him, although parliament approved an allocation of GHS26.4 million, the 2021 budget confirmed that GHS65.7 million was actually spent.

The North Tongu legislator says the government must come clear on the development.

The former Deputy Information Minister in a social media post said, “accountability and judicious use of funds by governments in responding to the pandemic is a major issue of concern in many countries.”

He said accounting for spending on COVID-19 is critical to the fight against the pandemic hence the need for the government to be transparent.

“How did government spend some GHS39million more than what it budgeted for contingency? (Govt’s approved allocation was GHS26,437,579 but spent a staggering GHS65,733,885)… It is not acceptable that government fails to tell us what the massive over expenditure was used for.”

COVID-19: Parliament authorizes government to spend GHS1.2bn from Contingency Fund
It will be recalled in April 2020, Parliament approved for the government to spend GHS1.2 billion from the Contingency Fund.

This was to enable the government to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on lives and businesses.

The Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta was to implement a program, with the expectation that an extra 50 million dollars will accrue to the Fund by the close of the year.

It is from this amount that approval was made for contingency expenditures.