News:
July 12, 2015
Parliament would by October ending this year sanction institutions that fail to comply with the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
This follows a directive given on Thursday by the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, instructing 25 institutions named in the PAC’s report for financial irregularities to submit to the house, a report on the implementation of the Committees report or face full sanctions by October 15, 2015.
The directive is as a result of an application made by the Chairman of the PAC and MP for Dormaa Central, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, praying the Speaker to ensure that the House obtained full financial accountability of public funds from the Executive and other public office holders.
Mr Agyemang Manu presented the Committee’s report of the Auditor-General on the Public Boards, Corporations and other statutory institutions for December, 2010 and 2011, findings of which, revealed significant irregularities in the financial accounts of the 25 institutions.
He told the Speaker that the House ought to sanction public officials for ineptitude resulting in the loss or misappropriation of public funds.
The Speaker in response to the PAC’s request, said in keeping with the Legislature’s constitutional role of keeping an eye on the public purse, henceforth institutions that appeared before the Committee would be required to present implementation reports on recommendations or face the rigours of the law.
The institutions named in the report include the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the Cocoa Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), the Ghana Trade Fair Company and the Ghana Standards Board.
Others include, the School of Public Health, College of Health Science of the University of Ghana, School of Nursing, College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, the University of Professional Studies, the Accra Polytechnic, the University of Mines and Technology, the University of Cape Coast and the National Board for Professional and Technician Examination.