The Bono Regional Secretary of Tax Justice Coalition Ghana, Simon Asore, has admonished Audit Committee Members of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country to make available their financial management expertise at the local level in order to eradicate financial irregularities.

“You, the Audit Committee Members are expected to help check irregularities being recorded by the Public Account Committee and you have no excuse if the system failed,” he stressed.

Mr Asore further advised the members to remain objective, especially in ensuring implementation of the directives from the Public Account Committee by the individual assemblies.

He entreated the Audit Committee Members to get up to speed with the necessary by-laws and documentations on their respective assemblies while performing their professional duties.   

He said the Audit Committees exists to ensure that the right things regarding public finances are done and so urged them not to treat cases lightly adding “do not allow people to steal funds at the assemblies and later turn it into advances to be paid later.”

“As Audit Committee Members, just remain vigilant on the prudent utilisation of financial resources by the assemblies,” Mr. Asore urged.

The passage of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act 2016, (Act 921) has abolished the Audit Report Implementation Committee (ARIC) and replaced it with an Audit Committee with representation from professional bodies such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

The new PFM Act was as a result of the follow up from the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information Systems project and other reforms to address weaknesses especially in the fiscal policy formulation, budgeting, commitment control, debt management, transparency and accountability among others.