GH¢2.4m Spent On Expatriate Business Awards

A total amount of Gh¢2,367,426.06 was spent by the Millennium Excellence Foundation (MEF) on the organisation of the recently held Ghana Expatriate Businesses Awards (GEBA) in Accra.

Out of the amount, the foundation spent Gh¢40,000 on staff allowances, stationery and preparations towards the launching of the awards.

Founder and President of GEBA, Ambassador Ashim Morton, disclosed this when testifying before Parliament’s Ad-hoc committee investigating the controversies that ensued as a result of the awards.

According to him assertions that people paid money to seat closer to the Presidential table were false.

He disclosed that the services of an auditor would be sought to audit the event by the end of January this year.

Ambassador Morton further disclosed that representatives of five companies that sat around the Presidential gold table made contributions before the awards ceremony, contrary to the Trade and Industry Minister’s assertion that seven companies paid before the event.

The amounts contributed by the five expatriate companies, according to Ambassador Morton, are; Gh¢110,250, ghc220,000, Gh¢110,000, Gh¢109,250 and Gh¢330,270 respectively.

He also told the committee that twenty (20) guests sat on the Presidential table, which again contradicts the Minister’s claims last Friday that seventeen (17) sat on the Presidential table.

On his part, Chairman of GEBA, Ambassador Victor Gbeho, expressed worry about the controversy the ceremony has generated.

According to him the expatriate business community is totally pleased to have donated willingly to the event and have also variously commended both the foundation and Ghana for recognizing their contributions to the economy.

He said, as a result of the awards, many foreign businesses have rated Ghana high among developing nations and Africa as a whole.

Ambassador Gbeho assured of the foundation’s readiness to appear before the committee anytime to help clear any doubts about the event.

A total of twenty-six (26) awards were presented to twenty-three (23) companies, including Unilever and Interplast, who received two awards each on the day.

A total of nine (9) fundraising dinners have so far been held by MEF.

 

By: Christian Kpesese/ thePublisher