PAC shocked by level of disregard for regulations in spending state cash

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee James Avedzi has expressed indignation at how some financial officers in public institutions disregard the country’s financial regulations in spending the taxpayers’ money.

At the Committee’s sitting in Tamale on the Auditor General’s 2015/2016 report of public institutions, Mr. Avedzi observed financial public officers have disregarded the Financial Administration Acts.

Financial officers, Coordinating Council Directors, Estate Managers, Interim Vice Chancellors, and Rectors of the Wa and Bolagatanga Polytechnics, and the Tamale Technical University were interrogating on how internally generated funds and governments subversions have been used in their various institutions as contained in the Auditor’s report.

“Public officers who are spending money or advising heads of departments to part [with] money meant for the people of this country must be guided” by the various regulations, Mr. Avedzi who is also a Member of Parliament for Ketu South James.

Mr. Avedzi cautioned public officers who had accepted wrongdoing on their part as captured in the report and apologized before the Committee, that they either be guided by the rules or be caused to face the law.

“The mistakes, yes, they have apologized but that can cause them because the rules are there to guide them, if they refuse to be guided by the rules, it will cost them,” he stated.

The Committee is expected to end its hearing in the region by Friday February 16 before it moves to the Brong Ahafo Region