Heal KATH Team Clears Tiles At Tema Port After Govt Snub

The Heal KATH Project Committee has manoeuvred to settle the over one million tax bill on tiles imported into the country for the renovation of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

The Committee was compelled to import some of the goods and equipment needed for the renovation due to the cost factor and issues of availability on the local market.

One of such items were the 10 containers of tiles billed with an import duty of Gh¢1,714,265 by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The whopping amount, the Heal KATH Committee noticed would drain their insufficient coffers and thereby wrote to the Ministry of Finance to seek a duty waiver on the materials and equipment meant for the project.

Months down the line, the Committee is yet to hear from the government.

With fears of demurrage, the Committee had no choice than to find means to settle the bill ending up paying Ghc 1,819,000.

opemsuo.com is reliably informed that the amount has been paid in full by the Heal Komfo Anokye Project Committee.

However, concerns have been raised about the sufficiency of mobilised funds for the entire project which is crucial to the continuous operation of the facility which receives referrals from 12 out of the 16 regions in the country.

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is spearheading the renovation of the teaching hospital. He launched the revenue mobilisation drive in November last year with the quest to raise US$10million for the rehabilitation of the four blocks known as the old Gee blocks.

With the current trend, it is unknown how far the less than 40% of the funds raised would go.

The Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Prof Otchere Addai Mensah during a donation by Senior Vice President for AngloGold Ashanti Africa Non-operated JVs, Mr. Eric Asubonteng in March 2024, noted that the dilapidated state of the hospital, if not given the needed attention, might cost the facility its operational accreditation in few years.

Meanwhile, repair works on the leaking roof of Blocks A, B, C and D have been completed with the interior renovation awaiting some imported equipment and goods.

Source: opemsuo.com /Hajara Fuseini