President declines request for full KPMG report on SML/GRA contract

The Office of the President has turned down a request from the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to disclose the full KPMG report on the revenue assurance contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
The MFWA in a letter dated April 24, 2024 had made the request for the full audit  report in pursuant to section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) (“RTI Act”).
But the office of the president, in a statement released on Wednesday, said the request cannot be granted citing sections of the RTI to back its action.
 “Upon careful consideration and in accordance with section 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i) of the RTI Act, I regret to inform you that your request has been refused. Section 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i) states that information prepared for or submitted to the President or Vice President containing opinions, advice, deliberations, recommendations, minutes, or consultations, is exempt from disclosure and that disclosure of such information would compromise the integrity of the deliberative process by revealing the thought process, considerations, and influence on decision-making reserved for the highest offices of the land.”
The Office of the President explained that the full KPMG Audit Report comprises  opinions, advice, deliberations, and recommendations that are integral  to the President’s deliberative process and thus qualifies  as exempt information under section 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i).
The statement noted further that the President fully aware of the public interest in the GRA-SML contract,   published the principal findings and recommendations of the report in a detailed press statement issued on 24th April, 2024.
This according to the Presidency strikes a fine balance in keeping the public informed on the matter while respecting the statutory restrictions on the specific closure on the matter.