In a shocking exposé that rocked Ghana towards the end of 2023, the Fourth Estate unearthed a concerning alliance between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), a mysterious start-up. This alliance purportedly saw substantial annual sums funnelled from the state to the private contractor under the guise of revenue assurance in the petroleum downstream sector. But the revelations didn’t stop there. Further investigation revealed that, under the finance minister’s explicit instructions, SML was set to become the primary auditor of the upstream petroleum and minerals sectors, potentially costing the country over $120 million annually. Over the contract’s lifespan, SML’s total earnings could soar to over a billion.
In response to public outrage and the Fourth Estate’s documentary, the GRA issued a statement justifying its partnership with SML. They claimed a 33% improvement in revenue from the downstream petroleum sector over the two-year period from 2018 to 2021, equating to around 100 million litres per month in volume differential.
However, ACEP and IMANI conducted a thorough analysis, cross-referencing data from GRA and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), challenging the GRA’s claims. Data from both sources showed marginal differences. In the year SML began operations (2019/2020), GRA’s data indicated a 5% growth in refined petroleum product consumption, while NPA reported a 7% growth.
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https://www.myjoyonline.com/stinky-sml-scandal-wont-die-manasseh-to-akufo-addo-over-refusal-to-release-kpmg-report/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/NDC-will-prosecute-persons-involved-in-egregious-SML-scandal-Sammy-Gyamfi-1928644