Permit us to Run Installed SML System Until Investigations are Over - GRA Cries to Akufo-Addo

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The Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML) system has been implemented to supplement revenue assurance and control measures. 

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to maintain the system's operation for the duration of the ongoing investigation. The appeal was supported by Rev. Dr. Amishaddai Owusu-Amoah, the Commissioner General of GRA, and was described in full in a communiqué dated January 16, 2024.

Related To This: Akufo-Addo Initiates Probe Into GRA and SML Contract

The GRA's request comes after SML expressed concerns about possible operational ramifications and inconveniences from the planned halt of its current operations. The GRA highlighted in its correspondence that it continues to support the system's operational continuity, citing the system's critical role in revenue enhancement and ongoing investigations.

This appeal comes in the wake of President Akufo-Addo's decision to suspend the GRA/SML contract on January 2, alongside the appointment of the international audit and accounting firm, KPMG, to perform an audit of the contract and produce a report within a two-week timeline.

As per the appeal by the GRA, the suspension of operations until further directive from the President is expected to result in substantial revenue losses, a concern that was communicated to underscore the potential economic impact of halting the ongoing activities.

Related To This: GRA/SML Deal: KPMG's Audit Is Deception, Akufo-Addo Has Flown GRA Boss Out Of The Country - Ablakwa

It's worth noting that the SML contract, awarded by the Ministry of Finance and the GRA, entitles the company to an annual sum exceeding $100 million for a period of five years, with the possibility of renewal for an additional five-year term.

This situation unfolded subsequent to parliamentary action aimed at investigating the contract, following an exposé by The Fourth Estate, highlighting discrepancies in the claims made by SML regarding its previous contract obligations and achievements.

SML Ghana, a company tasked with overseeing the prevention of "under-reporting, diversion and dilution of fuel products and general non-compliance in the petroleum industry sector," has recently found itself embroiled in controversy. The management of the company faced scrutiny after removing a claim from their website, following its identification as false by The Fourth Estate team, and the subsequent deletion on the same day.


This incident, however, doesn't seem to have stalled the expansion of SML Ghana's work. In June 2023, the Ministry of Finance issued a directive instructing the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to broaden SML Ghana's purview. The letter, dated June 22, 2023, highlights the decision to extend the company's Revenue Assurance work to encompass not only the downstream sector but also the monitoring of upstream oil drilling by production companies and gold mining operations.

The award of these expanded contracts to SML Ghana has sparked widespread scrutiny and apprehension from various quarters, including members of parliament, civil society groups, and anti-corruption campaigners. Some have raised questions about the rationale behind these contract allocations, particularly emphasizing that existing systems were already in place within the upstream and gold mining sectors to safeguard the government’s interests.


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