Auditor-General uncovers GHS300m vendor payments without contracts at National Service Authority

A forensic audit by the Auditor-General has exposed that the National Service Authority (NSA) made payments exceeding GH¢300 million to 32 vendors without contracts, invoices, or any proof of goods or services rendered — a scheme auditors described as a “parallel channel for siphoning funds.” The audit, covering 2018–2024, found that the irregular disbursements were processed through the NSA’s “MarketPlace” platform, violating the Public Financial Management Act (Act 921). According to the report presented to Parliament on October 1, 2025, one company, Direct Savings and Loans Ltd., alone received GH¢169 million — more than half of the total — through 151 transactions using five separate Ezwich Unique Serial Numbers. Auditors noted the absence of contracts, invoices, or approvals from the NSA Board, adding that no formal agreements defined the purpose or conditions of the payments. The report warned that the lack of transparency created “avenues for insider collusion and misuse of public funds.” The Auditor-General has directed the NSA to provide supporting documents or recover GH¢301.6 million from the vendors involved, with surcharges and penalties to be imposed on responsible officials if documentation is not produced.