Deputy Minister of Finance, John A. Kumah has debunked the claims made by the Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor regarding the BOST Head Office Project as untrue and inaccurate.
The NDC MP on radio interviews and at a press conference said the construction of the twin tower by BOST has ballooned to $78 million from $39 million (2015 cost), creating the impression that there is some financial malfeasance associated with the revised figure.
However, the Deputy Finance Minister reacting to the claims in a post on his Facebook wall said “As a Deputy Minister of Finance, fully abreast with the process so far, I deem it appropriate to deflate the propaganda being put out by the Minority and to expose their lies”
“First is to say that the initial cost of the twin tower as mentioned by Hon. John Jinapor of $35 million was arrived at in 2015 by the then Management of BOST of which a contract was awarded to a company”.
According to Mr. Kumah,” In 2017 when this administration took over, the new Management of BOST noticed various procurement infractions and malfeasance associated with the original contract awarded for the construction of the twin towers”.
“Subsequently they wrote to EOCO, PPA and independently conducted a value for money audit on the project”.
He explained further that “Fast forward when due process and the right procedure was followed, the ministry of finance received a request from BOST for the construction of the twin tower of which we approved for only one of the twin towers to be constructed for $24 million”.
“Note that even though it is a twin tower both towers differ in terms of shape and use. The approval we gave was for a tower to serve as an office space”.
BOST is currently occupying rented premises, securing the single block at $24 million will help to do away with the burden of the rising cost of rent in the current premises.
“The two blocks per the valuer’s report in 2020 cost $49.6 million and therefore the claim the blocks cost $78 million is untrue”
“Furthermore, the PPA approved the single tower to be built at U$24 million and not $39 million as falsely claimed by Hon John Jinapor. A copy of the PPA letter is hereby attached” Dr. John Kumah noted.
Below is a copy of the letter:
BY Daniel Bampoe