Posted on:
www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw
Owusu
Monday, December
19, 2016
The exiting Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government
has approved a controversial €18 million waste management contract at a time
the government’s tenure is coming to an end.
The single source procurement was approved just last Thursday,
December 15, by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) at the request of Mahama
Ayariga, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology.
Mahama’s NDC government is on its way out of office following its
massive defeat at the hands of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) which
candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will become the 5th
President of the 4th Republic when he is finally inaugurated on
January 7, 2017.
Documents available to DAILY GUIDE reveal that the
contracts involve a company called SCL Waste Management Limited, which is
expected to establish an e-waste recycling plant pursuant to Section 31 of the
Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act , 2016 (Act 917).
Under the deal approved by the PPA, the sector minister has also been
given the power to ‘designate’ an external service provider pursuant to Section
21 of the Act; and a company called Contecna was selected without any
competition.
The approval of the contract was coming at a time the NPP team on
the Transition Committee had raised issues about unbridled signing of contracts
by ministers as well as recruitment of people believed to be NDC activists into
the public and civil service.
Some are also said to be backdating promotions, particularly the
Ghana Maritime Authority, where the head has allegedly cowed everybody into
submission.
The documents show that the request was made by the minister on
November 24, with reference number MESTI/SCR/003/04; and a response from the
PPA was sent on November 29 with reference PPA/CEO/11/2442/16.
Subsequently on December 15, the PPA gave approval for the minister
to make arrangement for SCL Waste Management Limited to establish the e-waste
plant as well as designate Contecna to carry out environmental services on
behalf of the government.
A document signed by Samuel Sallas-Mensah, Chief Executive of PPA - with reference
PPA/CEO/12/2628/16 - last Thursday indicated, “At the 141st SSRT
meeting held on 14th December ,2016, the board decided that approval
should be granted Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology in accordance
with Section 40 (1) (a) of Act 663, to sole-source Messrs SCL Waste Management Limited
to establish an E-Waste Recycling Plant at a cost of €18 million, including
shipment of the plant and construction of housing and installation of the
plant. To be borne by MSCL.”
Designating Contecna, the PPA in a letter with reference
PPA/CEO/12/2629/16 said, “At the 141st SSRT meeting held on 14th
December, 2016, the board decided that approval should be granted Ministry of
Environment, Science and Technology in accordance with Section 40 (1) (a) of
Act 663, to sole-source Contecna to carry out environmental services of
pre-shipment inspection of electrical and electronic goods exported to Ghana
and collect the assessed eco levy on behalf of the government.”
President Mahama and his NDC administration are being accused of
entering into agreements and signing contracts with entities ostensibly to tie
the hands of the incoming NPP administration.
Recruitment At
Cocobod
Cocobod is for instance, said to be undergoing fresh recruitment
exercise and is reportedly commencing interviewing of applicants today.
A source told DAILY GUIDE, “There's a long-standing
ban on recruitment into the Public Service in force, so why all these late
packing of the Service with defeated party supporters? The new government will
be forced to lay them all off if possible. I hear the recruitment they are
doing is massive.”
According to sources, Cocobod is already over-staffed, finding it
difficult to pay workers; and now Kwabena Opuni, the outgoing chief executive,
is packing the place with NDC activists as well as surrogates.
John Boadu, acting NPP General Secretary, last week stated that it
appeared the outgoing NDC government was not acting in good faith with the
awards of contracts because per the rules, government appointees were supposed
to write their handing over notes one clear month before the election.
He has already said that the incoming government reserved the right
to look into the propriety of the last-minute contracts and appointments.
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