35 Agenda 111 contractors allegedly misuse US$7.9 million in mobilisation funds
Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem has revealed that 35 contractors working under the Agenda 111 initiative received a total of US$7.9 million in mobilisation funds but either failed to report to project sites or completed work that did not match the payments made.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, March 10, while presenting the Auditor-General’s Report on Arrears and Payables as of the end of 2024, Mr. Nyarko Ampem said an audit of Agenda 111 projects uncovered major irregularities in how the advance funds were used.
The audit showed that the US$7.9 million was disbursed to contractors as advance mobilisation payments to facilitate the start of construction on multiple hospital projects across the country. However, some contractors did not mobilise to their sites, and in other cases, the work carried out was not proportional to the funds received.
“Mr. Speaker, the audit of Agenda 111 projects revealed that a total of US$7.9 million was paid to 35 contractors as advance mobilisation, but these contractors either did not mobilise to the sites or the work done does not correspond with the payments made,” he stated.
He further noted that the advance mobilisation guarantees obtained from the contractors at the time of payment have all expired, raising concerns about the government’s ability to recover the funds immediately.
Mr. Nyarko Ampem added that notices of surcharge have been issued to the contractors involved, requiring them either to refund the funds or provide justification for the payments received.
“The advance mobilisation guarantees for the 35 contractors who received the US$7.9 million have all expired. The Auditor-General has subsequently issued notices of surcharge to the defaulting contractors,” he said.
The Agenda 111 health infrastructure programme, launched under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, aims to establish district hospitals in underserved areas, each with 100 beds and residential quarters for medical staff.
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