James Klutse Avedzi, chairman of PAC
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament will start its public hearing today.
The chairman of the committee, James Klutse Avedzi, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North, revealed that officials of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will appear before it to answer queries raised in the 2015 Auditor-General’s report.
The chairman said officials of the BoG will respond to questions raised by the Auditor-General in respect of Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments from January, 2015 to June, 2015.
The chairman also indicated that apart from the BoG and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, officials of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) would also be appearing in the course of the week to answer charges as to how some government vehicles belonging to GHS were auctioned.
He also said that officials of the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) would appear before the committee in relation to the importation of some drugs into the country.
The chairman of the committee made these known when he addressed participants at a workshop organised by the committee for members of the Parliament Press Corps (PPC) with support from GIZ at Koforidua at the weekend to equip them to give effective coverage of the proceedings of the hearings.
He noted that the committee would do its work as expected of it, but expressed worry about the perception of members of the public that nothing comes of such hearings when recommendations are made by the committee.
He said in most cases when recommendations are made that lead to the discovery or refund of misappropriated public monies by erring officials, the media do not get to know about it so members of the public also do not get to find out about the progress made.
He said that the new Public Financial Management Act has given authority to the Ministry of Finance and the Institute of Chartered Accountants to put in place audit committees in the various ministries to follow up on the recommendations of the PAC to ensure that the recommendations made by the committee and approved by the plenary are enforced.
Other members of PAC in the seventh parliament are MP for Lambussie/Karni, Edward Kaale-Ewola Dery, who is the vice chairman; MP for Keta, Richard Quashigah; MP for Karaga, Alhassan Dandawa; MP for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George; MP for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak; MP for Aowin, Mathias Ntow; MP for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak; MP for Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abrem, Samuel Atta-Mills and MP for Ejura/Sekyedumase, Mohammed Bawah Braimah for the minority.
The rest are MP for Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai,Kingsley Aboagye-Gyedu, who is the ranking member; MP for Afigya Kwabre North, Nana Amaniampong Marfo, who is the deputy ranking member; MP for Atwima Nwabiagya North, Benito Owusu-Bio; MP for Bunkpurugu, Solomon Namliit Boar; MP for Fanteakwa South, Kofi Okyere-Agyekum; MP for Mpohor, Alex Kofi Agyekum.
Others are MP for Dormaa East, William Sabi; MP for New Juaben North, Kwasi Boateng Adjei; MP for Nanton, Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru; MP for Kade, Kwabena Ohemeng-Tinyase; MP for Lower West Akim, Eyiah Kyei Baffour; MP for Nhyiaeso, Kennedy Kwasi Kankam; MP for Afigya Sekyere East, Mavis Boadu-Nkansah; MP for Gomoa West, Alex Kwodwo Kom Abban and MP for Effutu, Alex Afenyo-Markin.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr