MESTI inaugurates Internal Audit Committee

Accra, May 15, GNA - An Internal Audit Committee for the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), has been inaugurated to help advice the Ministry on how to deploy financial discipline in its operations.

The five-member Committee, chaired by Mr Armstrong Amanor of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), has other members as Ms Patricia Appiagyei, Deputy Minister of Environment and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Ms Salimata Abdul-Salam, Chief Director of MESTI, Mr Martin Adjei of the IAA and Mr George Akwasi Boateng of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Per the Public Financial Management Act, 2016, Act 921, the Committee shall work to ensure that the Ministry pursues the implementation of any recommendation contained in an internal audit report, Parliament's decision on the Auditor-General's report, the Auditor-Generals Management Letter and the report of an internal monitoring unit in the covered entity concerned particularly, in relation to financial matters raised.

The committee would also work to provide an annual statement that would indicate the remedial action taken or proposed to be taken to avoid or minimise the recurrence of an undesirable feature in the accounts and operations of a covered entity and indicate the period for the completion of the remedial action, among others.

Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of MESTI, assured the Committee that the sector would do its work very well and with diligence to ensure that there was sound financial management so that the committee would not find many adverse findings against the sector.

He, however, said an Audit Committee had a very difficult task as per its duties as outlined by the law and so there was the need to give it the needed co-operation to enable them work in accordance to its mandate.

He said per their selection, three members of the Committee were external staff while two were from the sector Ministry, and that indicated that the Committee would be more serious with its internal audit work.

Ms Abdul-Salam, said the purpose of setting up the Committee was one of the important position in the revise Financial Management Act.

She said the purpose was to support the Ministry to be able to utilise funds to yield value for money and to keep the Ministry on its toes in the expenditure and in the performance of its duties, looking at the financial audit.

Mr Ransford Adjei, Acting Director-General of the IAA, who inaugurated the Committee into office, charged them to work as high level Committee members that would work to ensure sanity in the finances of the Sector.

He said its main work would involve monitoring and evaluation of event as it advices on risk management of the Ministry and come out with solutions to identified risk.

Mr Adjei said the current financial Act had clear sanctions that held Ministries, Departments and Agencies responsible for their operations should they failed to comply with the Act, saying that would help institutions to operate better.

Members of the Committee took the oath of office and of secrecy.

The Chairperson of the Committee was later elected by the members in a meeting.

Mr George Akwasi Boateng, on behalf of the Committee said they would discharge their duties diligently to ensure financial discipline and safeguard the public purse.

He said the members would also discharge their duty with discipline and integrity to the service of the nation. GNA

By Lydia Asamoah, GNA