Information Ministry reacts to ¢151K Covid-19 allowance in Audit

The management of the Information Ministry has said the GH¢151,500 covid-19 risk allowance was paid to call centre operators and critical staff.

In a statement addressed to external auditors, the Ministry stressed it served as an information dissemination hub on Covid-19 and offered assistance and guidance in the fight.

Aside from this, the Ministry noted it set up a 24-hour information desk at the Digital Centre.

“It would also be recalled that during the lockdown period, most staff of MDAs were made to sit at home as a way of curbing the spread of the disease whilst staff of the Ministry of Information were required to come to work by virtue of the special assignment given to the ministry by the President when he directed that the Ministry of Information should be the lead in risk communication and community engagement,” the response dated December 14, 2022, read in parts.

The Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, has therefore directed that the Ministry refunds the sum of ¢151,500.00.

Information Ministry paid itself ¢151k as Covid-19 allowance for working during lockdown – Auditor-General

“As you are aware, the ministry is in the business of providing relevant and timely information to save lives and as a result, we needed to motivate officers by way of small compensation for the risk they faced in working during the period of the pandemic,” it added