The World Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to strict accountability, vowing to recover misappropriated funds from the government.
World Bank Country Director in Ghana, Robert Taliercio O’Brien, emphasised that the government will be held responsible for repaying misused funds.
“If we find that there is a misuse of funds, we will ask for the funds to be reimbursed to us. That’s an issue for the government to work through,” he said in an interview with Joy News.
O’Brien stressed that fiduciary management and control are top priorities, noting that while the World Bank doesn’t sanction governments, it does punish private firms that misuse funds.
Regarding Ghana’s fight against corruption, O’Brien acknowledged that corruption is a global issue, not unique to Ghana.
He expressed the World Bank’s commitment to strengthening systems to prevent corruption.
“We’re focusing on how to strengthen the systems.”
Background
In April 2020, the World Bank provided Ghana with $100 million to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of a comprehensive financing package offering short, medium, and long-term support. This included $35 million in emergency assistance through the Ghana Emergency Preparedness and Response Project (EPRP) to enhance prevention, detection, and response efforts.
However, an auditor-general’s report later identified irregularities in the management of some COVID-19 funds, revealing cases of mismanagement by public officials. Despite this, the government was cleared of any wrongdoing regarding the World Bank funds received during that period.
In June 2023, Frank Pierre Laporte, the World Bank’s Country Director in Ghana at the time, confirmed that the $430 million contributed by the Bank to Ghana’s pandemic response was utilized appropriately.
He assured that the funds were spent under procurement requirements and had undergone a thorough audit. Laporte also announced that the Bank is developing a future financing plan to prepare for potential risks.
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