The Ministry of Education has clarified that it has completed the audit of the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) as requested by the World Bank.
It comes on the back of a statement from the World Bank suggesting that Ghana had delayed the submission of the audit report of the project agreement with the International Development Association.
“Given that the audited financial statements are now four months overdue, and in line with the audit compliance guidance, we write to inform you that unless you come into compliance within the next 30 days from the date of this letter, the Association may have no option than to explore the possibility of exercising the appropriate legal remedy under the financing agreement”, the letter dated October 21, 2022, by the World Bank said.
But in an October 30, 2022 response, the Ministry of Education said, “subsequent to the notice from the World Bank, the report has been finalized and submitted. The World has confirmed receipt.”
“There is therefore no outstanding obligation in request of the 2021 audit report on GALOP”, the Education Ministry concluded.
Funds for the GALOP were for the training of over 40,000 teachers on a digital literacy platform.
But there were reports suggesting that the Education Ministry and the Ghana Education Service have solicited for a $1.2 million support from the World Bank, but the said training was not organized upon release of the funds from the international financial institution.
These claims were described by the sector minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum as untrue.
The Minister said the money has not been squandered as claimed by some media reports, clarifying that the said amount in contention was not even meant for the training of teachers as suggested.
“The good news is that the money is sitting in the [Ministry’s] account as we speak”, the Minister said at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, May 26, 2022.
SOURCE theghanaianvoice
