$1.4m Monthly to SML Unjustified – IEAG


The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has issued a strong call to President John Dramani Mahama to immediately terminate the downstream petroleum contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), describing it as a “redundant and corrupt deal” that continues to drain national resources.


Addressing a press conference in Accra on June 4, 2025, the Executive Secretary of IEAG, Mr. Samson Asaki Awingobit, stated that despite a presidential directive in 2024 suspending parts of SML’s engagement due to damning investigative reports and a subsequent KPMG audit, the company continues to receive monthly payments exceeding $1.43 million. He argued that these payments are unjustified, as the services being rendered by SML — specifically, monitoring fuel volumes — are already being effectively handled by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) through its digital monitoring systems.


Mr. Awingobit condemned the continued expenditure on what he described as duplicated services and called on President Mahama to uphold his campaign promise to reject and cancel the SML contract. “Talk is no longer enough,” he said, adding that four months in office is sufficient time to act decisively on an issue of such magnitude.


The IEAG detailed the scandal’s background, referencing a 2023 exposé by The Fourth Estate which revealed that SML was awarded its multi-million-dollar contract without competitive bidding and lacked the necessary expertise in revenue assurance. The report also exposed inflated claims of savings and a conflict of interest involving a former GRA adviser who later headed SML.


In addition to urging contract termination, the IEAG demanded full disclosure of all payments made to SML since 2018, recovery of funds for redundant services, blacklisting of the company, and reforms to prevent sole-sourced revenue assurance contracts.


Civil society groups, the media, investigative agencies, and international partners have all raised concerns about the deal. The IEAG warned that failure to act decisively would damage Ghana’s credibility, violate principles of transparency, and betray public trust.


“President Mahama, Ghanaians believed you when you said you would end this deal. Now it’s time to show it,” Mr. Awingobit concluded.

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