President has noted that Government saved millions of cedis from procurement diligence in 2017 regarding the use of some sourcing. He said government made significant savings of some GH¢800 million in government procurement.

He also touched on the recent audit by the Auditor General into the liabilities of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies which led to the disallowance of some GH¢5.4 billion of claims, the President stated that these claims that would otherwise have been paid, but for the eagle eye of the Auditor General.

“Can you imagine what we can do with GH¢5.4 billion? It can certainly finance the Free SHS for five years,” he said.

‘As we depart from sole sourcing as the primary method of public procurement. That departure will strengthen our public finances, and make it possible for us to finance our development ourselves.”, he said.

He was speaking at the Black Stars Square on the occasion of the 61st Anniversary of Ghana’s independence. He used the occasion to renew his government’s pledge to fight the scourge of corruption, outlining the successes achieved so far:

“It is in all our interest that corruption does not thrive, and we police each other’s behaviour. Going Beyond Aid means Ghanaians should not serve as fronts for foreign companies to defraud our country. It will mean we all pay our taxes, as provided by law, and it will mean we all help to take care of government property, as though it were our own,” the President added.

On “one piece of the anti-corruption framework that is yet to be put in place”, President Akufo-Addo noted that The Right to Information Bill would increase transparency, and add another critical weapon to the armoury in the fight against corruption“, he added.