Mr Benjamin Adjetey (right) interacting with some stakeholders at the workshop.
About 50 internal auditors last Tuesday met in Accra to brainstorm on the proposed restructuring of the public sector internal auditing.
This followed finding by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), that the current structure of internal auditing does not provide reasonable assurance for the independence and objectivity of each Internal Audit Unit (IAU).
It further stated that the IAU within the Government of Ghana (GOG) was not free of impairment, in both fact and appearance and concluded that, the government “does not conform” with IIA International Standard 1100 “Independence and Objectivity”.
The IAA was also faced with challenges, including the lack of independence and objectivity, failure by management to respond to findings and the implementation of recommendations, victimisation and intimidation of some internal auditors.
Additionally, the IAA was also confronted with poor conditions of service, inadequate capacity building and training, as well as delays in promotion and upgrading of some internal auditors.
The government white paper on the recommendation of the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) accepted to amend the Internal Audit Agency Act, 2003 (Act 658) to create an Internal Audit class of public officers who shall be part of the Internal Audit Service.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, has already said there was the need to restructure and strengthen the IAA to function as a department of the ministry, adding that, “The current law and structure of the IAA does not empower it to effectively supervise, manage and regulate the practices in internal auditing in the public sector”.
The Director of Planning Monitory and Evaluation, Mr Benjamin Adjetey, said the resurrecting would enhance the independence of the internal audit unit, and improve the objectivity of the internal auditors, and the confidence and reliability in internal audit reports.
He said it would focus and streamline the use of training and development budget and apply uniform conditions of service across board.
“The restructuring would enhance risk management, loss prevention, safe guarding of national resources, appreciate the value addition role of the internal audit and the effective utiliSation of public resources,” he stated.
The internal audit board urged participants to support the restructuring to enable the IAA execute its mandate effectively.
By LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU & ALLIA NOSHIE
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