Mahama’s regime caused GH¢23m financial loss in bus deal – MASLOC

The Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has accused former President John Dramani Mahama and his erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration of causing financial loss to the state.

The former president is said to have chased the state the sum of Gh¢ 23,396,074.48 through the purchase of some buses in 2016.

According to MASLOC, the stated loss is the total over-invoicing and deferred tax.

The Centre made this known in a statement in reaction to a recent call from Mr. Mahama asking MASLOC to release to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) vehicles that were purchased in 2016.

Mr. Mahama made the call during his tour of some bus terminals in
Accra on Thursday, April 18, 2019.

Reacting to the call in the release signed by its Public Relations Manager, Fred Ohene Offei-Addo, MASLOC says it viewed “the call by the former President as very unfortunate, misleading and a calculated attempt to dodge the fact that his administration provided a conducive environment for the perpetration of gross administrative anomalies.”

It says the Public Procurement Act (PPA) was utterly disregarded and not duly followed.

According to the statement, during the procurement process, the vehicles were taken delivery of and commissioned by the former President on December 1, 2016, whereas the contract for procurement and supply of the vehicles
was executed on the 6th of December, 2016.

MASLOC says that “it is also worth noting that the vehicles he referred to are the ones the Finance Minister under his Government, Seth E. Terkper, authorized the controller and Accountant General to release an amount of Gh¢ 37,000,000.00 on the 5th of December 2016 to enable His then CEO of MASLOC to pay for a supplier who hadn’t signed a contract with the centre.”

It reported that the GPRTU has refused to take delivery of the vehicles solely because of the price.

The vehicles, it says, have been rendered commercially unattractive due to the erroneous procurement procedure adopted for their purchase.

At present, the release added the open market prices for the vehicles are cheaper than the prices at which MASLOC is able to offer
them at.