ENSURE PROBITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ...Public sector institutions told (PAGE 38)

THE acting Auditor-General, Mr Richard Quartey, has called on management of public sector institutions and departments to ensure probity, accountability and prudent financial management in all their operations.
He equally told management to improve on accounting systems, institute timely action on audit findings and to comply with contract awarding procedures including financial laws and regulations to ensure that fraud and errors were eliminated from their respective institutions.
Mr Quartey made the call during the opening of a two-day training workshop in Tamale on the Public Procurement Act, 663 of 2003 for 100 staff members of the Audit Service in the three northern regions.
It was aimed among other objectives, at updating the knowledge and skills of the participants to be able to conduct effective and efficient procurement audits.
The workshop was jointly organised by the Audit Service, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and the German Development Co-operation (GTZ).
The acting Auditor-General indicated that management of the Audit Service was instituting changes that were intended to modernise the institution and make it more capable of fulfilling its role as a watchdog over public funds and property.
He pointed out that Article 187(7b) of the 1992 Constitution empowered the Auditor-General to, “disallow any items of expenditure which is contrary to law and to surcharge defaulters with the cost involved”.
He announced that by the close of August, 2009, the service would complete the establishment of its own website with support from the World Bank.
“Auditing is a function that serves to promote accountability and is a very cost-effective means of promoting transparency in operations of public sector organisations and institutions,” Mr Quartey said.
According to him, management of public offices must supplement and facilitate the efforts of the Auditor-General by ensuring that fraud and errors were eliminated from their respective institutions through strengthened internal control systems.
The Assistant Auditor-General in charge of training, Mr Ernest Buadoo, observed that the Public Procurement Act 663 of 2003 section (3j) required that the public procurement authority board facilitates training of government monitoring organisations.