The Ministry of Information has said the payment of GHC150,000 to some of its staff during the COVID-19 lockdown was aimed at motivating them.
The ministry said some incentive was needed given the risks employees had to take.
This stemmed from concerns expressed by the Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, in his COVID-19 Transactions Report for the period March 2020 to June 2022, who questioned the basis for such payments.
But the Director of Finance and Supervision at the Ministry of Information, Mawuli Segbefia, said the money was aimed at boosting staff morale.
“Mr. Speaker, we were required to submit our implementation plan and budget to the Ministry of Health and the bank for approval, and we have complied with that. The plan included all the activities to be carried out and all the allowances to be paid to those responsible for its implementation.
“So, yes, Mr. Chairman, the plan was submitted to the bank and the Ministry of Health and duly approved before implementation began. This allowance was part of the plan that was submitted to the Ministry of Health for approval,” explained the Director-General of Finance and Supervision at the Ministry of Information.
