Seventh Annual Internal Audit forum opens in Accra

President John Mahama on Thursday urged government officials to ensure efficient and effective use of public funds to meet the country’s development objectives.

In an address read for him, President Mahama said the efficient and effective management of national resources was a major concern hence structural reform to strengthen the current Public Financial Management systems.

The advice was given at the opening of a two-day Internal Audit Agency (IAA) forum in Accra, to discuss ways to improve performance, efficiency, accountability and transparency in the use of national resources.

The forum is on the theme: “Efficient Management of National Resources: The Role of Internal Auditing.”

President Mahama said government would strengthen the fiscal decentralization process by transferring resource allocation functions to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies as a way of deepening democratic governance.

He said the various pieces of legislation had been introduced to improve the accountability framework; however the challenge was how to develop the governance, risk and control initiatives and strategies in the government’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan.

President Mahama reiterated the commitment of government to reposition the internal audit function to serve as an invaluable management tool for ensuring a more judicious use of national resources.

He expressed the hope that the forum would create a platform for more in-depth discussion of recommendation on how to effectively manage national resources through the independent assurance and consulting services provided by the Internal Auditing Function.

Mr. Kwabena Obese-Jecty, Director General of IAA, said the forum provided an important national platform for creating awareness and provoking interest in topical national issues that affect the financial administration and governance of public institutions in the country.

He stressed the need for judicious use of national resources and called for prudence, diligence, elimination of corruption and fraud among other factors to guide the management of the country’s resources.

Mr. Obese-Jecty said internal auditing has a key role to play to ensure that national resources were effectively used to attain national development goals.

Key players in public administration, including internal auditors and managers, Ministers of State, Parliamentarians, Chief Directors, Chief Executives, and other stakeholders are participating in the forum.