The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested a special audit into all evacuation exercises conducted since 2017 following public discussion over the cost of repatriating Ghanaian nationals from South Africa.
In a statement released by the Ministry, Foreign Affairs officials confirmed that a formal request has been sent to the Auditor-General to investigate the financial management of the South Africa operation alongside previous evacuations, including the 2020 COVID-19 repatriations, the 2022 evacuation of students from Ukraine, and the 2023 operation in Sudan.
“In addition to the Minister’s full public disclosure of the cost of evacuations from South Africa, the Minister has written to the Auditor-General to conduct a special audit into the evacuation from South Africa and all evacuations by the Foreign Ministry since 2017,” the statement read.
The Ministry has also submitted a full report on the South Africa operation to the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament to ensure legislative oversight.
Addressing inquiries from the Parliamentary Minority under the Right to Information (RTI) law, the Ministry stated that it has provided a comprehensive 200-page accountability document. The documentation includes detailed expenditure breakdowns, payment receipts, and contact details for the 1,964 Ghanaians who were brought home.
Defending the financial management of the latest exercise, the Ministry noted that internal records show the South Africa operation ranks among its least expensive to date.
“The GH¢49,721,786.00 being the total cost of evacuation from South Africa is around the same figure spent on only one expenditure item during the 2020 evacuation, that is quarantine, which cost the Ghanaian taxpayer GH¢44,460,530.00 even though most Ghanaians were asked to pay for quarantine from their own resources,” the Ministry explained.
Ministry officials maintained that the exercise adhered to strict financial standards, describing the operation as “the most transparent exercise anchored on integrity and financial prudence”.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
