The latest auditor general report has revealed that some ¢850,616 consultancy fees paid by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) in 2019 did not bear official receipts.

This was contained in the Auditor General’s Report on Public Boards, Corporations, and other Statutory Institutions covering the period 2019 has revealed.

On the back of this development, accountants have been advised to demand receipts and other relevant documents and attach them to the respective vouchers for the Auditor General’s reviews.

Furthermore, the Auditor General wants official receipts and all relevant documentation needed to fully account for the said amount spent on consultancy fees to the audit team for verification.

“We noted that the Commission spent GH¢45,898 on staff who were admitted in various Medical centers for consumption of poisonous food contracted by the administration for stakeholders meeting. We advised that management should as matter of urgency put in place food policy to safeguard the lives of staff and other participants of various meeting at the instance of the Commission”, the report further said.

Also, an amount of GH¢17,422 to one Ms. Veronica Baffoe who was on Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) scholarship as travel time and shipment allowance without supporting documents, the report stated.

The Auditor General’s report recommended that the Finance Officer obtain the supporting documents to cover the payments and inform the office accordingly, failure which may lead to the Auditor General disallowing and surcharge the authorising and paying officers with the amount involved in accordance with Section 18 of the Audit Service Act 2000, Act 584.

In 2019, President Nana Akufo-Addo in consultation with the Council of State appointed Professor Stephen Adei, as the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) was established under Articles 86 and 87 of the 1992 Constitution as part of the Executive.