Lands Ministry inaugurates five-member audit committee
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) has inaugurated a five-member audit committee as part of a mandatory requirement to build a robust financial management regime in the ministry.
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The move is in compliance with the provision of Section 86 (1) of the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) (Act 921) of 2016 that requires ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to set up such a committee to improve upon accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.
Members
The committee, chaired by Mr Isaac Amartey of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), includes the Minister of MLNR, Mr John Peter Amewu, and the Chief Director of the ministry, Professor Bruce Banoeng-Yakubo.
The other members are Mr Samuel Gyekye-Mensah of the IAA and Mr Samuel Baimbill Johnson from the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA).
The acting Director-General of IAA, Mr Ransford Agyei, swore in the members at a ceremony in Accra last Tuesday.
Until Parliament passed the PFMA on August 3, 2016, requiring the MDAs to set up the audit committee, there existed an Audit Report Implementation Committee (ARIC) that ensured the efficient management of public finances.
The function of the current audit committee includes putting in place monitoring mechanisms to ensure the prudent management of finances in the ministry, as well as present annual reports to the Office of the President, Parliament and the internal audit unit.
Diligence
Mr Agyei urged members of the committee to live above reproach and be diligent in their work to promote transparency, accountability and anti-corruption in the management of finances.
He said it was important for the committee to put in place mechanisms to check budget overruns and implement sanctions for violations of the PFMA.
Mr Amewu said the ministry would provide the necessary assistance to the committee to enable it to carry out its mandate, stressing that probity and accountability ought to be strengthened in MDAs.
He urged the members of the audit committee to strive to sanitise the financial system at the ministry by putting the nation first.
Mr Amartey gave an assurance that members of the committee would bring their diverse professional experiences to the table to fulfil the mandate given them.
