Annual Internal Audit Conference Opens in Accra

The conference aims to provide a platform for discussions by managers of public institutions and other stakeholders to help craft a roadmap towards addressing the challenges of internal auditors in their quest to safeguard national resources.

This year's conference is being organized by the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) on the theme: "Safeguarding National Resources Through Effective Public Financial Management".

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Marfo, appealed to public executives entrusted with the management of the nation's scarce resources to discharge their duties in a transparent and accountable manner.

"The way we manage our national resources will go long way to determine the country we are building for the future. Goods and services have to be co-ordinated in a manner that will ensure effective and efficient delivery", Mr Osafo-Marfo emphasized.

He charged the mandated institutions of the IAA and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) to be diligent and ensure that the purpose of their establishment was achieved in order to protect the 'public purse'.

Mr Osafo-Marfo pledged government's support for the mandate of the IAA in fighting corruption and in addressing the challenges of internal auditors.

Addressing the participants, the Chairperson of the occasion, Dr Esther Oduraa Ofei-Aboakye, stressed the need for the efficient use of public resources for the betterment of all individuals in order to prevent financial losses and wastages.

Dr Ofei-Aboakye was hopeful that the conference would "help build the partnerships and the understandings needed to harness the usefulness of Internal Audit function" in order to effectively manage the country's resources.

Speaking on the theme: " Effective Public Management: Key to National Development", the Minister for National Security, Hon. Albert Kan-Dapaah, called for the effective management of public wealth and stressed the need to institute checks and balances at work places to prevent monies lost through corruption.

In a statement, the Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo, said there was the need for all persons in public institutions to collaborate with internal auditors in order to avoid the misuse or loss of public funds.

On his part, the acting Director-General of IAA, Mr Ransford Agyei, explained that public finances ought o be managed efficiently in order to improve the living standards of the citizens.

Mr Agyei, therefore, called on all stakeholders to mobilize resources and ensure the protection of national resources for national development.

Source: ISD Intern (Evans Danso)

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