Digitalisation of the economy would help protect public purse – President

President Akufo-Addo

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reiterated government commitment to ensuring efficiency, value for money, and the protection of the public purse.

He said the government’s digitization agenda was aimed at formalizing the economy and providing a national database which was essential for service delivery and the industrial revolution.

An efficient national database would help empower the Auditor General and other state institutions such as the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Internal Audit Agency, and other statutory institutions to systematically carry out their mandate to achieve compliance by citizens and protect the public purse.

President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the opening of the maiden District Auditors Conference in Kumasi.

It was under the theme “ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of the state auditor in a digitized economy”

A national database, the President said, was one of the essential efforts by the government to transform all sectors of the economy and this would help auditors and other state institutions to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently.

President Akufo-Addo said the government was taking critical decisions to improve the economy by providing the requisite inputs and the required logistics to stimulate the economy on several levels.

The national digital property address system, paperless port, electronic payment of government services, and making the Ghana card the major source of identification, were some of the initiatives Ghanaians were already enjoying.

These had enhanced coordination among state institutions such as the Audit Service and provided significant benefits to the citizens.

He said the overall objective of the government was to integrate all databases for effective public service delivery and administration of the country, adding that an electronic platform would promote transparency and help improve the economy.

Mr Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, the Auditor General, commended the government for the immense contribution and support to the Audit Service in the fight against corruption, even at the grass-root level.

He said a digitized economy would bring a new life to the Audit Service in the discharge of its duties.

“A digitized economy will bring new life into the audit of our times.

This will result in a massive improvement in the audit efficiency, characterized by a mass reduction in average time spent and reduced cost due to the paperless process”.

He said the conference would enable the district officers to share ideas, challenges, and excitement in auditing in a digitized economy.

Mr Edward Dua Agyeman, Chairman of the Audit Service Board, said the Service has active support from the government to perform its professional duties effectively.

Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, called on state auditors to continue to play key roles in the fight against corruption in the country.

He urged them to avoid practices that would be an indictment on their professional duties.

Source: GNA

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