Audit Report Okays $2bn Sinohydro Project

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has dismissed claims by the opposition that there is no value-for-money audit report on $2 billion infrastructure-for-bauxite deal between Government of Ghana and Sinohydro.

According to him, the project was endorsed through the value-for-money audit report.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah made this known on Wednesday in an interview with Citi Fm.

He claimed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) usually churns out falsehoods, describing the party as enemies of progress.

The report indicated that “the Ministry of Roads and Highways (MRH) by a letter MRH/PD264/323/01 dated 17th December, 2018 requested for a value for money analysis for the Construction/Rehabilitation of Selected Roads and Interchanges in Ghana-Phase 1: Lot 1 (Accra Inner City Roads).”

Accordingly, he said the MRH submitted to the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) on 8th January, 2019 documents relating to a proposed contract between Ministry of Roads and Highways (MRH Employer) of Ghana represented by the Department of Urban Roads (DUR) and Messrs Sinohydro Corporation Limited (SHCL) of China, (Contractor) (Parties) and requested GhIS to undertake Value for Money (VFM).

The report emphasised that “in terms of their informational contents, both the Employer’s Requirements and the Contractor’s Proposal largely conform to the GhIS guidelines for best international practice. The documents are unambiguous and detailed and the Employer’s requirements have the overall coherence and logical flow.”

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah stated that the report debunked the claim by the NDC that there was no value-for-money audit.