PAC orders Zoomlion to refund GH¢517,500 for failure to execute fumigation contract

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered Zoomlion Ghana Limited to refund GH¢517,500. 00 into government chest for failure to execute a fumigation contract awarded to it by government during the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

The contract was for the fumigation of schools, markets, and other public institutions in the Kintampo North Municipality in the Bono East Region.

However, Zoomlion was said to have failed to honour the contract but managed to secure the total amount of GH¢517,500.00 without any work done.

This came up at the Public Accounts Committee sitting when the Kintampo North Municipal Assembly appeared before the Committee chaired by Dr. James Klutse Avedzi in Sunyani yesterday

The Kintampo North Municipal Coordinating Director, Alhaji Inusa Sayidu, told the Committee that several efforts by his outfit to get the company refund the money proved futile.

He said the report of the Environmental Officer of the assembly showed that no work was done, but Zoomlion claimed it had carried out the work.

The Chairman of PAC, however, instructed the coordinating director to write back to Zoomlion to refund the money into government chest.

The Member Parliament for South Dayi in the Volta Region, Rockson-Nelson Defeamekpor raised concern about the situation where Assemblies misplaced or miss filed contract documents and could not produce them when auditors needed them for verification.

This phenomenon was a common feature when most of the Assemblies appeared before the committee.

Another issue that featured prominently was the inability of most Assemblies to collect property tax which is a major revenue source for the Assemblies.

While most of them attributed the situation to logistical challenges it was also obvious that the situation was a lack of political will from political leaders.

Other issues that came up were unsubstantiated payments and abandoned projects.