Public Accounts Committee recommends punishment for school heads

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, has called for sanctions against heads of second cycle institutions that misappropriate funds.

Mr Kan-Dapaah made the remarks during a public hearing of the Auditor -General’s Report on the Public Accounts of Pre-university education institutions in the Western and Central Regions for 2005, 2006 and 2007 in Takoradi on Friday.

He said every public institution must present its audited account to the Auditor General’s Department every year in order to avert sanctions and charged heads of second cycle institutions to abide by the financial regulations and rules regarding the usage of public funds.

Commenting on some heads of institutions that failed to pay their withholding taxes to the Internal Revenue Service during the years under review, Mr Kan-Dapaah recommended punishment against the defaulters, saying the financial Regulation (Act 592) recommended penalties for such offences.

“If I, being the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee failed to apply the law, I would be found culpable as well, therefore the law must take its course,” he stressed.

He cautioned heads of schools to desist from charging unapproved fees saying the practice would discourage less privileged students from attending school.

Out of 59 second cycle institutions in the Central Region, only 14 submitted their audited account to the Auditor- General’s Department in the year 2007, he said.

Some of the second cycle institutions that appeared before the committee included Adisadel College, Wesley Girls High School, Aburaman Senior High School, T. I Ahmadiya Senior High School, Methodist Senior High School, Mankessim Senior High School, Asuansi Senior Technical, Holy Child Senior High, Assin Adankwamu and Effutu Senior High schools.

Source: GNA