Mahama’s Comment On Buses Misleading - MASLOC

The Microfinance and Small Loans Centre’s (MASLOC) attention has been drawn to a comment
made by the former President, John Dramani Mahama, during his tour of some bus terminals in Accra on Thursday, April 18, 2019. In the comment, the former President called on MASLOC to release to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) vehicles that were purchased in 2016.

MASLOC views the call by the former President as very unfortunate, misleading and a calculated attempt to dodge the fact that his administration provided a conducive environment for the perpetration of gross administrative anomalies. We state the following in clarification of the facts surrounding the procurement for the said vehicles:

• The Public Procurement Act (PPA) was utterly disregarded and not duly followed during the procurement process

• The vehicles were taken delivery of and commissioned by the former President on the 1st of December 2016 whereas the contract for procurement and supply of the vehicles was executed on the 6th of December, 2016.

• It is also worth noting that the vehicles he referred to are the ones the Finance Minister under his Government, Hon. Seth E. Terkper, authorized the controller and Accountant General to release an amount of GHs37,000,000.00 on the 5th of December 2016 to enable His then CEO of MASLOC to pay for a supplier who hadn’t signed a contract with the centre.

• The GPRTU has refused to take delivery of the vehicles solely because of the price. The vehicles have been rendered commercially unattractive due to the erroneous procurement procedure adopted for their purchase. At present, the open market prices for the vehicles are cheaper than the prices at which MASLOC is able to offer them at.

• The absurd procurement process reiterated above have resulted in a loss to the state of approximately GHS23,396,074.48, being the total over-invoicing and deferred tax. 

MASLOC would like to point out further the total unjustifiability of the procurement of the vehicles that have been referred to by the former President: