The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has tasked the newly inaugurated Governing Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), to take an active role in the national fight against corruption by exposing financial leakages, over-invoicing, and under-invoicing.

Speaking at the official inauguration of the Council on Tuesday at the Ministry in Accra, the Minister said accountants have a key role to play in identifying financial irregularities and promoting accountability in public financial management.

“You are stewards of the mandate that demands transparency, accountability and responsiveness. I see your role at the heart of the success of any effort by the government to combat corruption. Accountants are at the heart of it, the minister said."

He specifically urged the Council to expose practices such as over-invoicing, under-invoicing and financial leakages. “The linkages, the over-invoicing and the under-invoicing can only always be revealed and exposed by you. Do so for the republic in order that you can guarantee value for money for the Ghanaian taxpayer,” he said.

Mr Iddrisu reminded the Council that integrity must be a defining value of their work. “In your case, integrity is not an optional value. It is at the hallmark of your career, and I trust that you will lead as regulators with integrity. Don’t only preach it, you must live it and practice it.”

He also encouraged ICAG to raise its public profile and become more visible in national discussions around transparency and financial discipline.

“Your visibility is also important. You do a lot of work, but much of it on the quiet. I think it’s about time that you publicise much of the work that you are doing,” he said.

Referencing the need for public education and engagement, the Minister said, “You may have to do more stakeholder engagement and public education and participate more in the national discourse.”

He added that he looked forward to seeing ICAG take the lead in public discussions on fighting corruption, suggesting that the Council present papers and contribute to national efforts on governance reforms. “I look forward to a day when you deliver a paper on combating corruption, the role of the accountant,” he said.

The Minister called on the Council to enforce professional standards without compromise. “There is a duty to uphold and enforce standards. You must not waver in this responsibility,” he emphasised.