People in gov’t business must reflect prudence – PAC

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Tuesday observed the need for people charged with government business to reflect prudence in all their dealings.

Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah, Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua Constituency made this remark on the first day of PAC’s public sitting in Ho.

The Committee, during the four-day meeting would consider reports of the Auditor-General on the Accounts of District Assemblies and their management and utilization of District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) and other statutory funds for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Mr Asiamah’s remark was prompted by the indication of poor tracking of audit queries by the Ledzokuku Krowor Assembly when its core management staff came before the Committee.

The Assembly failed to provide some PVs even long after the stipulated period lapsed.

Among the flaws was the duplication of payment of tax and a bloated enrolment of school feeding programme recipient schools.

During the turn of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, Mayor, told the Committee that AMA had rehashed procedures for acquiring building permits, to improve the turnaround time and that payments were now being done through the banks.

He said the measures were to prevent one of the five audit outstanding issues of developers collecting permits without paying fees.

Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, PAC Chairman, advised the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to report to the Police, one Simon Dunyo, who is litigating with the Assembly over allegations of misappropriation.

He said it appeared the Assembly had a challenge controlling Revenue Collectors.

Mr Agyeman-Manu also advised the Assembly to report another erring Revenue Officer said to living in nearby Togo to Interpol.

In an opening remark the PAC Chairman said the overview of the report was that deficiencies in internal controls were persisting in the Assemblies.

He said findings of the report for the three years under review were not “palatable”.

Mr Agyeman-Manu stressed that the job of the Committee was not to prosecute but to make recommendations.

Mr George Loh, Deputy Ranking Member and MP for North-Dayi said Ghanaians were not amused by the kind of infractions reported from the Assemblies.

A total of 14 Assemblies were listed to come before the Committee on the first day.