SML-GRA Contract Scandal: Government's Inaction Exposed by Media Probe

A damning investigation by the Fourth Estate blown the lid off a corrupt contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), exposing a staggering revenue leakage and blatant disregard for due process. 

The government's failure to act on this scandal until a media house brought it to light raises serious questions about its commitment to good governance, accountability, and transparency 

The KPMG report, commissioned by the presidency, confirmed the irregularities, but its findings were initially shrouded in secrecy. In a blatant attempt to conceal the truth, the government tried to exempt the report from public disclosure, sparking widespread outrage and demands for transparency.

 It was only after intense public pressure and insistence that the government reluctantly published the report, revealing the shocking extent of the corruption.

A bombshell KPMG report released has unearthed a tangled web of corruption and tax evasion in the lucrative contracts between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).

The KPMG report exposes a staggering betrayal of public trust, revealing a deliberate disregard for standard practices, cronyism, and revenue leakage that raises fundamental questions about the government's willingness to uphold good governance and accountability. 

Furthermore, the report discloses that SML failed to fulfill its statutory obligations by neither filing returns nor remitting the taxes to GRA. This blatant disregard for tax laws and regulations raises concerns about the company's integrity and the government's oversight.
The report also exposes that GRA entered into six contracts with SML without the required approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA). This clear violation of procurement laws and regulations suggests a deliberate attempt to circumvent transparency and accountability.

The KPMG report's findings are a scathing indictment of the government's handling of the SML-GRA contracts. 
The revenue leakage, cronyism, and tax evasion exposed in the report undermine the country's development and perpetuate a culture of impunity under Nana-Addo and Bawumia governors. 

The government must take concrete steps to address this scandal, hold those responsible accountable, and implement measures to prevent such corrupt deals in the future.