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SOME OFFICIALS of the Ghana Audit Service have resorted to using their personal money to fuel official vehicles for official work due to lack of funds from central government to run the Service.

Some budgetary allocations approved by Parliament have also not been released by the Finance Ministry, hence, the inability of the Service to operate effectively.

These revelations were made on the floor of Parliament yesterday when the Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Kwaku Agyeman-Manu was contributing to the debate to approve the 2016 budget estimates of the Service.

Mr. Agyeman-Manu noted that the Audit Service is a critical agency that needs adequate funding in order not to compromise the integrity of the officials at the Service.

The PAC Chairman further stated that the issue of adequate funding goes beyond one year and that it is affecting the operations of the Audit Service.

He, thus, appealed to the House to compel the Finance Minister, President and Cabinet to ensure adequate and timely releases of funds to the Service to support its operations.

The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu also called for adequate funding for the Service and further urged them to expand their Information Communication Technology service across the country.

The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu on his part also noted that cutting down the Audit Service’s budget and not releasing funds to the Service is purposed to bring down the Service.

A letter from the presidency to the Speaker of Parliament dated November 13, 2015 showed a slash in the budget request of the Service from GH¢187,509,408 to GH¢140,611,756.

The letter signed by the President said “in view of the current fiscal challenges facing the country, it is recommended that the sum of GH¢140,611,756 be considered for approval for the Audit Service.”

According to Parliament’s Special Budget Committee report, the Audit Service in 2015 was able to conduct 1,742 audits representing 53% of the planned 3,250 audits with only six statutory audit reports submitted to Parliament as at November this year.

“The reports were presented several months after the constitutional deadline of 30th June, 2015,” the report added.

In 2016, the Audit Service is expected to conduct and present to Parliament its regular audit operations consisting of 3,335 entities.

The committee observed continuous reduction and delays in the release of funds for the implementation of set programmes of the Service, thus, causing fall in arrears to the detriment of best practices and in contravention of the Constitution.