Publish full KPMG audit report on GRA-SML contract – NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has joined calls for President Akufo-Addo to publish the full audit report by KPMG on the contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).

President Akufo-Addo ordered KPMG to audit the contract between the two entities on January 2, 2024.

Following the submission of the audit report, on April 24, 2024, a press statement from the Presidency revealed that total fees paid under the contracts from 2018 to the date of suspension amount to over one billion Ghana cedis.

Speaking at the Moment of Truth series, National Communications Officer for the NDC, Sammi Gyamfi, said all monies paid to SML must be retrieved.

He added that persons involved in the contract must be arrested and prosecuted.

“The NDC demands the immediate publication of the full KPMG investigative report on the dealings between SML and the GRA. Mr President, why are you hiding that report? That report was conducted and put together by KPMG after their investigation at the expense of the Ghanaian taxpayer

“KPMG did not do that work for free, they were paid by the Ghanaian taxpayer…so why are you keeping that report like a CIA confidential report in your drawer in your office?” he questioned.

Among other demands, the party contends that all contracts between SML and GRA must be terminated immediately.

“We in the NDC here demand the immediate termination of all, not some, all illegal contracts entered between SML and the GRA. Here we are talking about their transaction audit agreements, their external price verification agreements and their downstream petroleum audit agreements…

Also, “the retrieval of all payments by the government to SML under the illegal agreement has occasioned a huge financial loss to the state. Once the agreements are illegal then the state cannot respect those agreements…an agreement signed in contravention of the laws of this country cannot stand the test of law in this country and therefore any payment made under this village agreement must be retrieved.”