The Ghanaian government has committed to settling a GH¢95 million judgment debt owed to IT consultancy firm West Blue Consulting following the contentious termination of their contract.
West Blue Consulting, under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance, provided technical and support services to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) from 2015 to 2020.
However, the contract’s abrupt termination prompted West Blue to take legal action, seeking redress for an outstanding debt totalling GH¢289 million.
The confirmation of the GH¢95 million award to West Blue came from Julie Essiam, Commissioner General of GRA, during a recent session of the Public Accounts Committee.
Ms Essiam clarified that while the total debt was GH¢95 million, the government had negotiated to pay this sum in three instalments due to financial constraints.
“The judgment debt amounts to GH¢95 million. We cannot settle this in one payment. Hence, the court has reached an agreement for a phased settlement,” Ms Essiam stated.
The settlement underscores the complexities of public-private partnerships in Ghana’s governance landscape and highlights the financial obligations arising from contractual disputes between the government and service providers.
The Ministry of Finance and GRA are expected to coordinate the payment schedule as part of ongoing efforts to resolve outstanding financial liabilities and uphold contractual obligations in public service engagements.
