Yaw Osafo Maafo (M) in a pose with board members and participants
The Internal Audit Agency (IAA), has been charged to find appropriate means of educating individuals appointed to manage state institutions on sound public sector internal audit practice to enable them contribute significantly to financial governance of the country.
Senior Advisor to the President, Yaw Osafo Maafo, who made the call at the 2023 annual Internal Audit Conference by the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) yesterday in Accra, said educating them on the role of internal audit practices would help remove the perception where internal auditors are seen as enemies.
“Many people appointed to various ministerial positions don’t understand the role of the internal auditor, they see the internal audit as a fault finding institution and see them as opponent number one. We need to change this by informing the people about their role and educating them that they are there to protect the country’s public purse and not to be biased and take any antagonistic stance,” he stated.
According to him, apart from serving as the advisor and consultant to the government, especially to the Ministry of Finance, the agency over the years also performs other functions in matters of corporate governance, audit and internal control.
He, therefore, urged state institutions to cooperate with the Internal Audit Agency as a key agency in the public finance management cycle that seeks to protect the public purse and not as investigators and professionals employed to find fault.
Director General of the Internal Audit Agency, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, for his part, said the agency in the last two decades has demonstrated commitment towards improving transparent, accountable and efficient use of public funds across the public sector.
He said such collective effort have not only shaped the country, but have also contributed to the financial management of the country.
He also mentioned that though infractions in the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) increased by 48 percent, infractions within some sectors reduced; for instance, 58.6 percent for Pre-Educational Institutions, while that of Technical Universities also reduced by 39.9 percent.
Dr. Osae added that as part of steps by government to reduce irregularities in the public sector, Parliament has begun a process of getting audit committees of MMDAs to appear before the Select Committee on Local Government to explain why key issues in audit report have not been resolved, while making significant improvement in the public financial management system.
The Board Chairman of IAA, Joseph Winful, also stated that the agency has virtually placed the reporting lines of internal audit functions of government institutions under the Internal Audit Agency.
“With the commitment shown by the government and the Ministry of Finance, we have made significant progress towards amending the current Internal Audit Agency Act 2003, (Act 658) to restructure and reposition Ghana’s public sector auditing system to bench mark global standards and the value for money in the use of public funds,” he added.
The two-day conference, which brought together over 1,400 internal auditors and stakeholders from various parts of the country, also aimed at facilitating the exchange of ideas and feedback on government policies and operational standards.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah