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11.02.2010 General News

President Mills asks Audit Service to eschew fear

11.02.2010 LISTEN
By GNA

President Mills asks Audit Service to eschew fear
February 10, 2010
Accra, Feb. 10, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Wednesday asked the Audit Service to eschew fear and be steadfast in the discharge of its duties to protect the interest of the nation.

"Be fearless and do what is right for Ghana, nobody should be shielded," President Mills said when he received a delegation from the Audit Service Board at the Osu Castle in Accra.

The Board, led by its Chairman, Mr John Klinogo called on the President to inform him of the Centenary celebration of the Ghana Audit Service.

The celebration, which kicked-off last October, would come to a climax with a grand durbar in August 2010.

The Audit Service is an independent organisation constitutionally mandated to audit public accounts including all public officers, public corporations and other bodies established by an Act of Parliament.

The Service is to ensure that the nation's resources are used efficiently and that internal control and procedure operateeffectively.

President Mills condemned the un-wanton misuse of public fundsand urged the Board to take particular interest in the auditing of the accounts of the District Assemblies.

He expressed concern on the fact that there had been "careless dissipation of people's money in some of the District Assemblies," and urged the Service to be forthright in exposing financial wrongs in the Assemblies.

Between June 2009 and January 2010, the Service submitted 12 Auditor General Reports on the Consolidated Fundand a report on the Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The two reports are usually tied to the Multi-Donor Budget Support to Ghana.

Also, in response to special requests from the Office of the President, the Service is carrying out due diligence audit of all the 170 District Assemblies to determine the total amount of liabilitiesor financial commitments, which the Assemblies have made.

He assured the Board and the Service that Government had full confidence in them.

"I can vouch for you that you would not relent in your efforts," President Mills said, but however reminded the auditors that their duty was to continue to point out wrong practices in the generation of revenue for the nation.

He said the acceptability of the expertise of Ghanaian auditors in the international circles, should be maintained.

President Mills promised that the recommendations in the reports would be implemented.

Mr Klinogo announced that a special audit of the Scholarship Secretariat was being undertaken to determine whether scholarships were administered in accordance with laid down procedures and directives governing them. This follows requests by Ghanaian students abroad against delays in receiving remittances.

He said the Service's recent Value for Money Review carried on the Ghana Police Service had been rated as the best in Africa and the report was helping decision makers on how best to deal with the accommodation problems of the Police Service.

The Service, however, is faced with logistic problem such as vehicles, computers and office equipment and training of its human resources due to lack of adequate allocation.

Mr Klinogo called for more dialogue, stakeholder awareness creation and education to chart a new image of the Auditor for the benefit of the country.

GNA

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