By Eunice Hilda Ampomah, GNA
Accra, Dec. 19, GNA – The Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI) has sworn in a five-member Audit Committee to assist the Minister, and key stakeholders to implement audit recommendations.
The Committee, chaired by Mr Thomas Daniel Appiah who is a representative of the Internal Audit Service, includes Ms Shirey-Ann Larni Ama Narh, another representative of the Internal Audit Service; Mr William Anum, a representative from the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana; Mr Eric Baah, the Head of Policy Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation, MSDI; and Ms Doris Agyapong, the Head of Human Resource Management, MSDI as other members of the Committee.
The Committee is tasked to perform duties as required by Article 86 to 88 of the Public Financial Management Act to pursue the implementation of any recommendations contained in an internal audit report, Parliament’s decision on the Auditor-General’s report, the Auditor-General’s Management Letter and the report of an internal monitoring unit in the covered entity concerned.
The Audit Committee is also required to prepare an Annual Statement under (1)(b) of the Act to 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.
It is also expected to indicate the period for the completion of the remedial action and be endorsed by the relevant sector Minister and forwarded to the Minister, Parliament, Office of the President, and the Auditor-General within six months after the end of each financial year.
To clearly stipulate the role of the MSDI, it has been mandated to formulate and coordinate policies, plans and programmes for the implementation of government’s priority initiatives and constituency specific projects under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) through the three Development Authorities.
IPEP on the other hand, is a new development approach designed to help accelerate the eradication of poverty and address the various forms of inequalities manifesting itself in the country.
Mr Kwesi Armo-Himbson, the Chief Director of the Ministry, told the Committee that the Ministry is prepared to give them any report including annual performance reports and quarterly reports to enable them to effectively execute their duties.
Prior to the inauguration, the Ministry accesses the service of the Audit Unit under the Office of the President to implement its duties, he said.
He recommended that the Committee meet at least four times annually to make informed decisions about how to discharge what is expected of them.
Mr Appiah, the Chairman of the Committee, gave an assurance that they were going to act within the confines of the Act and its guidelines.
It was with much joy that the inauguration of the Committee has been actualised, he said, adding that they were willing to achieve something productive to uplift the image of the sector.
He urged the Heads of the Ministry to cooperate with the Committee by making available tools it would need to enable them to strengthen control mechanisms of the Ministry.
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