The Audit Service of Ghana is to join the league of state institutions offering paperless services as $1.5 million has been allocated for the automation of audit processes.
An additional $500,000 has been voted under the ongoing Public Finance Management Reform Project to build the capacity of Audit staff in the use of computer aided tools and enhance their services.
The Vice President , Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who disclosed this at the 8th Annual Accountability Lectures and Launch of the 2017 Financial Year Audits in Accra yesterday said this would enable the Service effectively audit state systems which have or are in the process of automation.
“It is sad to say that while all government systems have either been automated or in the process of being automated, the Audit Service is using manual auditing process. Imagine the irony and the ineffectiveness of auditing automated systems using manual process. It is time for the audit service to go paperless.” he said.
The event, under the theme “Protecting the public purse- our commitment towards Ghana’s developmental agenda”, was aimed at whipping up the need to incorporate the principles of probity and accountability in the management of public funds.
Dr Bawumia said the government was devoted to its fight against corruption and use money saved, to fund developmental projects and create jobs and would therefore support the audit service to thrive.
In line with this determination, he gave an assurance that budgetary allocation to the service which had delayed would be released as soon as possible as government acknowledge that the delay would hinder the work of the service and the timely release of the 207 audit report.
He said the GHc5.4 million disallowed in the 2016 audit report, was an indication of the service’s commitment to protect the public purse, saying government was looking forward to the prosecution of offenders as a refund of the monies alone was not enough.
He therefore charged the Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo to work closely with the special prosecutor, Martin Amidu, to fight corruption, since government had confidence in them and would not interfere in the discharge of their duties.
The Vice President asked persons surcharged in the 2016 auditor general’s report to go to court for redress instead of running to the presidency for cover since none existed.
He said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was aware of the importance of the Right to Information (RTI) law to the fight against corruption and had therefore asked that action on it was expedited.
Board Chairman of the Audit Service, Prof. Edward Dua Agyeman, said the board would in the course of the year create avenues to build the capacity of internal auditors to prevent the “Catastrophic day light robbery.
Mr Domelevo, in his welcome address, recommended a review of the internal audit act, to among others, resolve the challenges facing internal auditing in the country.
He urged government to hold public officials and individuals who abuse public purse accountable adding that the service would go all out to protect the public purse.
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