TEMA, Ghana, 28th June: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has questioned why the government is not aggressively pursuing individuals whose actions resulted in financial losses to the state under the previous administration.
According to him, recovering misappropriated or lost public funds would be a more effective way of raising revenue than imposing additional taxes and levies on already burdened citizens.
“Why is the government not pursuing all the people who caused financial losses to the state and recovering the monies?” he asked.
Mr. Koomson argued that several decisions and actions by former government officials led to significant losses to the public purse and should be investigated thoroughly, with efforts made to retrieve the funds involved.
He cited the abrupt closure of toll booths nationwide under former Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, and the controversial Sputnik V vaccine procurement deal under former Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, as examples of cases that allegedly caused financial loss to the state.
In November 2021, the former Roads and Highways Minister directed the immediate suspension of road and bridge toll collection across the country following the presentation of the 2022 Budget Statement.
The decision resulted in a sharp decline in revenue to the Road Fund, with government officials later acknowledging the significant financial impact of the move.
Mr. Koomson also referenced the Sputnik V vaccine procurement saga, which generated widespread public concern and parliamentary scrutiny.
The deal involved the procurement of Russian-made COVID-19 vaccines through a private intermediary at a price reportedly higher than prevailing market rates.
The controversy led to investigations by state agencies, including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, June 28, Mr. Koomson maintained that government should prioritise recovering funds lost through such transactions rather than introducing new taxes and levies.
“For instance, the former Roads Minister who arbitrarily shut down the toll booths, and the former Health Minister in relation to the vaccine importation issue. These are some of the people government should be pursuing to recover monies that have been lost to the state,” he stated.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭
