The 2017 Auditor General’s report has indicted management of the graphic Communications group for failing to recover huge debts from state institutions including parliament and MMDAs for purchase of newspapers.
A Member of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Dr Clement Apaak wondered why institutions like Parliament owed the company despite the budget allocation for reading materials to settle such expenses by the House.
Responding to the audit queries, the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Benjamin Ato Afful, said several attempts to recover such debts have not yielded any results.
He, however, did not disclose the exact amount owed by Parliament and other assemblies.
Mr Afful said Parliament in May 2020 paid part of its arrears following an appeal to Speaker of Parliament.
He disclosed management has engaged the services of loan recovery agencies to go after its debtors. The MD appealed to both public and private debtors of the GCG to honour their obligations to save the organization.
“As regards the recalcitrant clients that the audit refers to We have activated two debts recovery agencies that are external to go to the business, they are going after long-standing debtors of the company. Additionally, the company also has a standing debt collection force made up members of management including unionised staff that go round day to day basis to help the credit control team,” he said.
He added: “…We also use this channel to plead that this national asset will only survive when we support it to do so, so we entreat yourselves included to honour your payments that are due to us and we continue to supply you accordingly”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ibrahim Alhassan
