The parliamentary Committee that investigated the Sputnik V vaccine contract recommended that the Minister of Finance , Ken Ofori-Atta, take steps to recover the money owed to the Republic in the amount of $2,850,000, which was the cost of the Sputnik V vaccines proposed to be procured.
According to the Committee, they found out that the Ministry of Health to did not seek approval from the Board of Public Procurement Authority (PPA) under Sections 40 and 41 of Act 663 before signing the Agreements.
The Ministry however, applied for ratification under Section 90(3) (c) of the Act. Which has still not been granted.
The Committee also found out that the PPA has not concluded its investigations into the matter. The Ministry dealt with the Highness Al Maktoum and S.L Global. The two entities were appointed by the Aurugulf Health Investment (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), to be both agents and distributors of the Sputnik V vaccines in Ghana. Clearly using middlemen for the purchase and distribution of the vaccine.
The Committee also found out that the amount of $19 was the agreed price of the vaccine under the Ministry’s Agreement with Al Maktoum and $18 under the agreement with S.L Global which was originally $26 per dose.
The Ministry explained that the prices achieved under the 2 agreements included the cost of documentation, shipping, packaging, logistics and expenses in relation to transportation of the vaccines to Ghana.
It was seen that the Ministry entered into the two agreements without cabinet approval but only based on a Ministerial decision, having regard to the advice of the Covid-19 emergency operating committee.
Based on the findings of the committee, it is of the opinion that even if the situation of the country at the time the agreement was signed, was that of an emergency, due process of law should have been followed because parliament would have treated the issue with the urgency it deserved and the appropriate action would have been taken accordingly.
The committee therefore recommends that, in future, any transactions, being it local or international be subjected to broader stakeholder consultations and should be taken through due process of law including Parliamentary approval.
Source: myghanadaily
