Presiding members schooled on audit reports

Mr Kwasi Oppong-Fosu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, on Wednesday stressed the need to strengthen institutions to provide the needed oversight roles.

This, he said, would ensure that government officials carried out public functions efficiently, economically, effectively, ethically and equitably, while achieving desired programme objectives.

Mr Oppong-Fosu said in democratic societies such as Ghana, effective involvement of key stakeholders was essential for healthy growth of the country’s public institutions and democracy.

“This is because it is the key stakeholders who make accountability, transparency and probity work in our public institutions,” he said.

Mr Oppong-Fosu was addressing a day’s workshop in Accra on interpretation and implementation of audit reports organised for Presiding Members (PMs) in the Greater Accra Region.

The workshop, the third in the series, was organised by the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) to broaden their horizon in that area.

The Minister said the roles of the PM as well as all Assembly members, who are representatives of the citizenry,  were critical in reducing waste and abuse in the management of the Assembly’s resources.

He therefore emphasised the need for Assembly members to be competent and objective in the discharge of their duties.

Mr Oppong-Fosu said all of the requirements, government officials and recipients of public monies in the local government system should become more responsible and accountable to the government and citizens of Ghana.

“It is therefore proper that Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors, heads of departments and staff strongly demonstrate their commitment and cooperation to the work of the Assemblies in order to ensure that resources are used for their intended purposes.

“We of the MLGRD believe that is the way to go if we should effectively check corruption and improve probity and accountability in the public sector,” he added.

Mr Thomas Ampem, Finance Officer of the IMCC, said the training was not to make the PMs auditors but to let them understand and appreciate the work.

He urged the participants to bring their rich experiences on board to make their deliberations a success.

Source: GNA