The Ministry of Youth and Sports has provided a detailed clarification regarding the $3.6 million payment made to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for its role in broadcasting the 13th African Games held in Accra earlier this year.
Advertisement
The clarification comes after a controversy emerged following comments by Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session on August 19, 2024.
Ussif claimed that the Ministry had paid GBC over $3 million for its production and broadcasting services.
This claim was made in response to concerns raised by MP Samuel Nartey George about unpaid debts to technical staff who worked on the Games.
GBC’s Director-General, Prof. Amin Alhassan, countered this statement, stating that GBC had only received $105,000 intended as support for dedicating an entire channel to the African Games, which involved suspending regular programming on GTV Sports Plus.
Advertisement
In response to the discrepancies, the Ministry of Youth and Sports issued a press release on August 20, 2024, providing a breakdown of the financial arrangements.
The Ministry outlined that several proposals for the production and broadcasting rights were received, with some exceeding $6 million.
To foster local capacity and ensure a lasting legacy, the Ministry chose GBC, whose financial quotation was the most reasonable.
According to the Ministry, the agreed total for GBC’s services was $3.6 million. Of this amount, $2.5 million was paid directly to GBC in two installments: $1 million on March 13, 2024, and $1.5 million on May 22, 2024.
The remaining $1 million was paid to third-party service providers as directed by GBC, per the contractual agreement.
The Ministry stressed its commitment to transparency and accountability, asserting that all financial transactions were handled with integrity.
Leave a Reply