ACCRA, Oct 24 (The African Portal) – The management of J.A. Plant Pool (Ghana) Limited (JAPP) has rejected allegations by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, that the government overpaid the company by US$2 million under the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP) contract.
The company said the supposed overpayment was the result of a clerical error in official documents, not financial misconduct.
At a government accountability event in Accra on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Dr Ayine said a forensic review of the US$176 million DRIP contract revealed an excess payment of US$2 million to J.A. Plant Pool. He added that the government had demanded a refund.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, JAPP described the Attorney General’s comments as “unfortunate,” saying they presented “a partial narrative” that could damage the company’s reputation.
“The disclosure presents a partial narrative of the issues and risks tarnishing the company’s hard-earned reputation built over years of diligent service to the Government and people of Ghana,” the company said.
Clerical error, not overpayment
The company maintained that the approved and executed contract sum was US$178.7 million, not US$176 million as stated by the Attorney General.
“It is factually incorrect to assert that the contract sum was US$176 million. The official amount, duly executed by all parties, remains US$178,704,739.50,” JAPP stated.
It explained that the alleged overpayment arose from a typographical mistake in the Public Procurement Authority’s (PPA) approval letter concerning one line item, which was promptly reported for correction.
JAPP added that all transactions under the DRIP contract were lawful, transparent and approved through the appropriate government channels.
Denial of tax evasion and over-invoicing claims
Responding to additional allegations of GHS 38.7 million in tax evasion and over-invoicing, the company said all its imports were duly declared to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and placed under bonded warehouse supervision.
“The claim that JAPP imported and cleared 190 pieces of equipment under false tax exemption claims is incorrect. Only 99 semi-knocked-down components were imported to support maintenance operations,” the statement said.
JAPP also dismissed claims of inflated pricing, arguing that the contract was competitively negotiated and offered “value for money.”
“The US$178 million contract for 2,420 units was, in fact, value for money — especially when compared to a previous procurement worth US$1.3 billion,” the company added.
Project impact
The company highlighted the DRIP project’s contribution to Ghana’s development, saying it had created more than 11,000 jobs, trained 4,000 local mechanics, and established mobile maintenance units in all 16 regions.
“These interventions have had a transformational socio-economic impact, enhancing local expertise, creating employment, and retaining technical value within the Ghanaian economy,” JAPP noted.
J.A. Plant Pool reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and collaboration with government agencies to ensure the DRIP project continues to support Ghana’s infrastructure development.
