The Ministry of Information has defended its decision to allocate GHC150,000 to certain staff members during the COVID-19 lockdown, asserting that the funds were intended to boost morale.
The Ministry justified the expenditure by highlighting the challenging conditions staff faced during the pandemic, which required additional motivation.
This response comes after Auditor-General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu questioned the legitimacy of the payments in his report covering COVID-19 transactions from March 2020 to June 2022.
Mawuli Segbefia, Director of Finance and Monitoring at the Ministry of Information, explained that the payment was part of an approved plan.
He stated, “We were required to submit our implementation plan and budget to the Ministry of Health and the bank for approval. This plan included all activities and allowances for officers involved. The plan, including the allowances, was duly approved before implementation began.”
