GHS134m Mahama Textbook Deal Cut by GHS45m

The government of Ghana has reviewed a textbook contract signed by the erstwhile John Mahama administration from GHS134million to GHS89million, saving the country’s kitty GHS45million, Minister of Information Mustapha Hamid has disclosed.

According to him, the decision is consistent with government’s approach towards contracts that “we came to meet, where if possible, we have renegotiated the terms to make them more favourable to the Ghanaian people”.

“In the Ministry of Education for example, we renegotiated the cost of printing textbooks, which the former government had signed with printers. Instead of GHS134 million, we renegotiated downwards to GHS89 million,” Mr Hamid disclosed on Tuesday, February 6.

He explained that it is in the same spirit that the Finance Minister asked the Auditor-General to “audit the financial liabilities that had been bequeathed to us, and which has revealed that some GHS5.4 billion of legacy debts are dodgy”.

The Minister emphasised that government remains committed to the goal of protecting the public purse, while ensuring value for money in the greater interest of Ghanaians.

Also, government says it has saved $300,000 after renegotiation a $9.1million deal to purchase some bulletproof vehicles for the presidency.

The government said the renegotiated deal cut the number of vehicles for the presidency from 43 to 34 and bought 100 Toyota Corollas in place of the extra nine luxury cars.

The John Mahama-led administration in January 2017 was condemned for ordering the vehicles a few days to handing over to the incoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) government headed by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

According to Mr Hamid, “We have done all this with a total amount of 8.8 million United States Dollars”.


Source: ClassFMonline