The Ministry of Information, in its unwavering commitment to staff well-being, has defended its decision to allocate GHC150,000 to staff during the COVID-19 lockdown.
This expenditure, deemed necessary, was a measure to boost staff morale amid the challenging conditions of the pandemic.
This response comes in light of concerns Auditor-General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu raised in his report on COVID-19 transactions from March 2020 to June 2022. The Auditor-General questioned the payment justification, prompting scrutiny of the Ministry’s financial decisions during the pandemic.
Mawuli Segbefia, Director of Finance and Monitoring at the Ministry of Information, clarified that the payments were intended to compensate staff for the heightened risks they faced during the pandemic. He emphasized that the expenditure was part of a meticulously detailed implementation plan and budget that was submitted to and approved by both the Ministry of Health and the relevant banking institutions.
“Mr. Chair, we adhered to the required protocols by submitting our implementation plan and budget to the Ministry of Health and the bank for approval. The plan included all activities and allowances for officers involved,” Segbefia stated.
The Ministry is dedicated to ensuring that the allowance payments were a crucial part of their strategy to support staff during the unprecedented lockdown period.
