Minister ask MDAs, assemblies to adopt internal checks

Tamale, Aug 21, GNA - Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and District Assemblies have been urged to adopt internal checks to ensure that public sector dealings are collectively certified by persons who participate in such transactions and not by Chief Executive Officers alone.

The internal checks system if strictly adhered to would minimise defalcations and irregularities that often occur in the public sector. Mr Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern Regional Minister, made the suggestion in a speech read on his behalf at a day's workshop organised by the Ghana Audit Service and other stakeholders, in Tamale on Wednesday.

The workshop among other issues deliberated on the outcome of the Messer Ernest Young Chartered Accountants audit of the Government of Ghana accounts for 2006 and 2007, under the Multi-Donor Budget Support (MDBS) arrangement.

Mr. Nayina explained that by the internal check system, "Internal and external auditor's roles in ensuring probity and accountability in public institutions would be minimised and raise the credibility of our public institutions".

He urged the MDAs and the Assemblies to judiciously utilize financial support from Ghana's development partners since the funds came from taxes paid by citizens of donor countries. Mr. Nayina warned public servants to be circumspect in their transactions to avoid falling foul of the law.

Nii Abbey Abbey, the Regional Auditor, said the Messer Ernest Young Chartered Accountants report had exposed lapses in the public sector. These he said included irregular review of bank reconciliations, failure to lodge internally generated funds at the bank and the lack of records on such moneys, improper accounts on advance/impress and the lack of procurement unit in many institutions. The Regional Auditor noted that the lapses could be exploited to the detriment of the State and urged heads of MDAs and Assemblies to ensure compliance with internal control system to stem these deficiencies.