President Akufo-Addo is scheduled to receive the audit findings from KPMG about the transaction between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilization Ghana Ltd (SML) today, Friday, February 23.
The deadline, which was originally set for Tuesday, January 16, was extended in order to fulfill a request from KPMG, as the President verified.
On Wednesday, January 24, a statement bearing the signature of Eugene Arhin, the Director of Communications at the presidency, stated that KPMG was required to present its final report by Friday, February 23, 2024.
Following an investigative piece published by the Fourth Estate in December 2023 that implicated SML, the GRA, and the Ministry of Finance, the level of scrutiny increased.
Suspicions about anomalies were aroused by the article, which claimed that SML had been given a lucrative 10-year contract for $100 million year by the GRA.
SML responded by disputing reports of a ten-year contract and stating that it had instead signed a five-year one.
In a December 20, 2023, statement, the GRA insisted that the right procedures were followed while hiring SML’s services.
But President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo issued an order on January 2, 2024, telling SML to stop its continuing revenue assurance operations.
He also instructed KPMG to conduct an instant audit of the agreement between GRA and the Ministry of Finance.
SML expressed confidence that the audit’s findings will give clarity and accuracy about its operations in light of these changes.
