PAC urges Controller to crack whip

The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) sitting in Accra has urged the Controller and Accountant General (CAGD) to crack the whip on state and public institutions that failed to prepare, or lately submit their bank reconciliatory statements.

It is difficult to describe what has happened to whopping sums of money for such failure or late submission of bank reconciliatory statements.

However, Ms Grace Francisca Adzroe, the Controller and Accountant General, told the sitting that her outfit had been monitoring the implementation of recommendations it made to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), which she said, in turn gave her update of action taken.

“Those we find not satisfactory, we bring them to your notice,” the Controller and Accountant General said.

Mr  Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Chairman of the PAC and MP for Dormaa West, however, urged the Controller’s office to check and produce evidence on implementation of recommendations.

‘“We can only get certification from you to ensure that they have done ….We’ll be assessing status of implementation,” Mr Agyemang-Manu said.

The Committee, which is sitting from Monday through Thursday, is considering the Reports of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of Ghana (Consolidated Fund) for the years ended 31st December 2012 and 2013.

There were issues of state institutions spending above their revised budgets, but Ms Adzroe explained that these came from expenditure on unanticipated events, citing the Electoral Commission as an instance, especially in an election year.

She said also that there was the problem of offices not fully automated, but it was improving with the GIFMIX system.

Deputy Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, noted that the huge variances were a problem.

The Reports also noted problems of ineffective treasury management, non-closure of dormant accounts, the poor collaboration between the MDAs, CAGD and the Bank of Ghana.

Source: GNA