Finance Ministry changes Chief Director under Terkper

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP) under the leadership of Seth Terpker has named a new Chief Director in the person of Major (Rtd.) Mahama Samuel Tara, a Chartered Management Accountant.

Tara replaces Mr. Enoch Hemans Cobbinah who took over the job in July 2011 from Mrs Effie Simpson Ekuban, who was then the Acting Chief Director.

It is not clear exactly when Tara took over but he was appointed after Mr. Seth Terpker became the Finance Minister last month February 2013.

Until his appointment as Chief Director of MoFEP, Tara served as the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education from 2010 to 2013.

Mahama Samuel Tara, a Northerner, was born in Yipala in the Northern Region and had his GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level certificates at the Tamale Secondary School.

In 1974, he obtained his first degree in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting from the University of Ghana, Legon. He is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Global Management Accountant.

He joined the Ghana Armed Forces in 1975 and rose through the ranks, retiring as a Major in 1987. While in the Army, he had the opportunity to attend the Royal Army Pay Corps Training School in Winchester, United Kingdom.

He joined the Ghana Civil Service in 1990 and between 1991 and 2001, Major Tara held various positions in institutions including the Ghana Tourist Development Company Limited as a Director of Finance and Administration, Architectural and Engineering Services Corporation as the Director of Finance and in September 1995 he was the Deputy Controller in charge of Financial Management Services and staff training at the Controller and Accountant Generals’ Department.

As a Director of Budget (Sept 1995 – May 2001) and Acting Chief Director at the Ministry of Finance (Jan 2001 –May 2001), he was responsible for the preparation of the National Budget and was also responsible for the determination of the needs of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the subsequent allocation of expenditure ceilings. He led the Technical Team that re-organized the Budgeting and Public Expenditure Management System within the government machinery and introduced the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) as the model for governmental accounting.

Major Tara is married with six children.

By Ekow Quandzie