Audit Service says it believes in accountability of public

Cape Coast, July 9, GNA - The Central Region Centenary Committee Chairman of the Audit Service, Mr. Kwesi Ahenkorah, said on Friday that the country would have seen high levels of corruption and mismanagement of public funds in the absence of the Service.

He said the Audit Service had carved a good image for itself and won public confidence through its activities over the years. Mr. Ahenkorah was speaking to the media after its staff had undergone a three-hour health walk dubbed "Accountability walk" as part of activities to mark its centenary celebration in the region. He said it was the responsibility of the service to ensure that the government uses the tax payers' money as well as donor funds for the intended purposes and that their ultimate objective was to uphold accountability and help promote good governance. Mr Ahenkorah said the Service would continue to express its independent opinions on the proper management of public funds to help facilitate nation building and gave the assurance that it would not disappoint the public.

He expressed regret about the recent low performance of staff in the districts and attributed it to inadequate logistics like vehicles, fax machines and other office equipment to enhance the smooth execution of their activities.

The Cape Coast District Auditor, Mr. Habil Bin Ishaq, mentioned insufficient staffing as one of the challenges of the Service and stressed that despite that challenge the few workers are doing well to check all the loopholes in the system. Mr Ishaq said the Ghana Audit Service had competent staff who had gained international recognition and therefore are often called for international auditing and was of the hope that the Service will soon emerge the best in Africa.