Former Member of Parliament for Sekondi and former Tourism Minister Andrew Egyapa Mercer says the current debate around the audit figures is being used to shift public focus from other national concerns.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, Mercer said the issue appears to be a public relations effort rather than a major revelation.
“This is all for PR to deflect attention from pressing issues confronting the country,” he stated.
He argued that other developments in the country are currently generating strong reactions from the public.
“The cocoa price reduction has generated a lot of uproar, and the security recruitment situation has also created serious frustration among the youth,” he added.
The discussion follows disclosures made by the Ministry of Finance in Parliament. A statement presented on behalf of Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson by Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem indicated that GH¢68.7 billion in public claims had been submitted for audit.
According to the ministry, GH¢45.4 billion of the claims were validated for payment after review.
However, GH¢8.1 billion was rejected due to irregularities, including unsupported documentation, duplication, inflated amounts, and payments requested for work that had not been executed.
