GRA/SML contract: Ghanaians must have access to KPMG report, says Sulemana Braimah 

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has expressed cautious optimism following reports that President Nana Akufo-Addo may authorise the release of the KPMG report on the deal between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ltd. (SML).

The development comes after the MFWA’s request under the Right to Information Act 2019 for the full report was initially denied by the Office of the President on Wednesday (8 May).

However, a source close to the presidency told Asaase Radio that the report’s release is now a “mere question of timing.”

“We are not seeking an exclusive right to access that particular piece of information,” said MFWA executive director Sulemana Braimah in an interview on Asaase Radio’s Big Bulletin on Thursday (9 May).

“This is a matter of significant public interest and the people must know; the people must have access to the report.”

Braimah raised concerns about the contract’s performance and potential financial losses to the state.

“We think that the masses must know this is a very stinky deal that has cost the nation over GHC1 billion,” he said.

“And as the president’s communication indicated, this was a contract that was being delivered partially in terms of the service delivery and the GRA may not have even gotten the full benefit.”

“Besides, we are told that [for] more than two years the company was performing contracts illegally because they had not obtained PPA (Public Procurement Authority) approval,” Braimah added.

The MFWA is calling for transparency regarding the contract’s approval process, including whether it involved competitive bidding or single-source procurement.

“It’s only last year that eventually they got an approval and even that one, we are not told under what mechanism they got the contract, whether it was still single sourcing or it was competitive bidding that was done.”