Investing in Audit Service would attract investment - EU Ambassador

Accra, Oct. 27, GNA - Mr Stefan Frowien, Head of the European Union (EU) Commission Delegation and Ambassador to Ghana, on Monday said the EU's investment to the Audit Service would bring investment into the country.

He said people would feel safe to invest in the country and to donate to the Government because they believed that the Service would have the technical expertise to make sure that funds that were donated to Ministries, Departments and Agencies were used for purposes for which they were given.

He said this when Mr Edward Dua Agyeman, Director General of the Audit Service and Board Members of the Service paid a courtesy call on the Head of the EU delegation in Accra.

The Ambassador said the Audit Service had a crucial role to play in national development and good governance by making sure that monies that were donate to the Government were well spent.

Mr Wim Olthof, Economic Advisor to the Ambassador, said the Audit Service should be seen a very important institution if the fight against corruption in the country were to succeed.

The Economic Adviser said the EU through the Swedish National Audit Service had 90 members of staff of the Service in modern financial audit methods to international standards and donated 460 computers at a cost of 4.6 million Euros, under the first phase of the project.

He said the Project, which started in 2000, ended in June this year and the second phase began from July 2003 to June 2004.

Mr Dua Agyeman said the EU had been a partner of the Service for the past three years and was one of the main donors of the Service.

The Director General thanked the EU and the National Audit Service of the United Kingdom for agreeing to sponsor the Second Phase of the Project.