The Auditor General’s report has disclosed that the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) did not prioritise roads while executing the government’s Cocoa Road Improvement Programme (CRIP) from 2015 to 2021.
The report indicates that COCOBOD undertook more projects than its budget could accommodate.
“For example, CRIP I, COCOBOD awarded 234 road contracts valued at GH¢5.2 billion which was 3.25 times the GH¢1,60 billion it budgeted for whilst CRIP II, COCOBOD awarded 266 contracts valued at GH¢13.0 billion which was also 9.9 times the GH¢1.31 billion it budgeted for,” it added.
In a letter to the speaker on June 12, 2023, the Auditor General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, stated that the Performance Audit on the construction of cocoa roads aimed to determine whether COCOBOD’s Board had ensured value for money in planning and implementing the CRIP to ensure that they served their intended purpose.
“We examined the activities of the General Services, Finance and Administration Departments of COCOBOD in implementing the CRIP from 2015 to 2021. We reviewed documents, carried out inspections at the 14 out of 35 selected cocoa roads, and interviewed key personnel of COCOBOD, the Department of Feeder Roads, Ghana Highways, and contractors in the selected regions. The audit covered the period from 2015 to 2021,” he added.
Mr Asiedu highlighted that due to the lack of prioritisation of the road projects and the shortfall in funding, COCOBOD was unable to pay for completed works within the contractually stipulated time, thereby denying contractors the funds needed to complete the works.
“We also noted that COCOBOD awarded 266 road contracts for CRIP II measuring a total length of 4,100km for rehabilitation, upgrading and construction in the selected cocoa growing areas, out of which, 33 contracts were through competitive bidding, 175 were through single source procurement and 58 through restricted tendering. Thus, 87% of the CRIP II Road contracts were through non- competitive routes,” he added.
The Auditor General recommended, among other things, that COCOBOD should enhance their estimation method to guide decision-making.
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