Ghana needs strict financial supervision - AG

The Auditor-General, Mr. Richard Quartey, has called for more commitment in the supervisory and monitoring roles of key officials and heads of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MDDAs), to permanently seal off gaps fueling recurrent financial irregularities.

He has additionally emphasized the need for the establishment of Audit Report Implementation Committees and Internal Audit Units at all the various MMDAs the absence or ineffectiveness of which combined with failure to implement recommendations to contribute to the recurrence of lapses.

Mr. Quartey mentioned some of these irregularities as unsubstantiated payments, unearned salaries, uncompetitive procurement as well as failure to deduct or remit withholding taxes.

The AG was addressing the opening session of the maiden Regional Auditors conference of the Service on Wednesday in Sunyani, aimed at building and improving the capacity of participants to enhance team work and effective relationship with Management for better service delivery.

The three-day national conference held on the theme “The Role of Regional Auditor in the Achievement of the Auditor-General’s Mandate” was attended by 35 participants including three members of the Audit Service Board and human resource staff of the Service.

The Auditor-General, expressing grave concern said everything needed to be done to close the hiatus to restore sanity into the financial systems of local governance

“These irregularities could also be attributed to low level of commitment and poor supervision by accountants, heads of from accountants, financial officers and heads of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MDDAs), towards ensuring proper compliance with financial rules and regulations”, he added.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Auditor, Mr. E. Dakorah-Bendah, mentioned lack of accommodation for the Atebubu/Amantin and Jaman South District offices as well as delay in the completion of the Regional Office extension block project, as some of the immediate challenges of the service.

He observed with concern that some of the Municipal and District Assemblies in the Region as well as public educational institutions were bedeviled with internal control weaknesses and managerial ineffectiveness.