Despite recovering GH¢12.9 billion from financial infractions, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised alarm over entrenched negligence, weak sanctions, and a culture of non-cooperation by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The PAC Chairperson, Abena Osei Sare, in disclosing the recovery, said the figure demonstrates progress but exposes glaring weaknesses in Ghana’s public financial management system.
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“With the support of the Auditor-General, we have been able to retrieve about GH¢12.9 billion. But clearly, we can do better. The infractions keep recurring because sanctions are not being applied,” she cautioned.
Speaking to the media after a sitting of the Committee on Wednesday, the Chairperson said the recoveries highlight the tangible impact of the PAC’s oversight role but also expose systemic weaknesses in public financial management.
The Committee Chairperson noted that auditors are routinely frustrated during their fieldwork. MDAs often fail to provide documents during audits, only producing them after they have been cited in reports.
“Why would you have a situation where auditors come to the sites, ask for documentation in respect of a particular transaction, and they are not able to provide it, only to later bring those same documents after being cited? It tells you they don’t give the auditors maximum attention,” the Chairperson lamented.
This pattern, according to PAC, undermines transparency and raises suspicions of deliberate attempts to conceal financial misconduct.
One recurring violation is the use of internally generated funds without approval from the Ministry of Finance.
“In this particular sitting, we saw a lot of infractions in relation to entities using internally generated funds without approval. If sanctions were enforced, many of these infractions would reduce drastically,” the Chairperson said.
The Atiwa East legislator emphasised that Ghana continues to lose revenue because public officials treat accountability rules as optional.
PAC also placed direct responsibility on chief directors and principal spending officers, describing them as the real gatekeepers of accountability.
“Ministers may not see everything, but the heads of entities are equally responsible. Chief directors and principal spending officers must be in control and ensure that the right things are done,” the Chairperson stressed.
While PAC hailed the GH¢12.9bn recovery as proof that parliamentary oversight is working, it warned that the absence of punitive measures makes the achievement a “hollow victory.”
“What we are doing is yielding positive results. But unless we start applying sanctions, these recoveries will continue to be an annual ritual. We need to send a strong message,” the Chairperson insisted.
The Committee has so far received 16 reports from the Auditor-General. With most PAC members being new, the Chairperson revealed ongoing efforts to strengthen their capacity to interrogate audit findings more effectively.
She, however, praised the Auditor-General for expanding the scope of reports to capture irregularities previously overlooked, saying it brings all these things to the fore for parliamentary scrutiny.
Hon. Abena Osei Asare appealed to the media to amplify its findings and keep public officials under pressure.
“We are asking for support from the media, because we are all partners in ensuring the right things are done. Together, we can reduce the infractions that drain public finances,” she added.
The Committee began its public hearings on the Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in early August and has since examined several ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Transport, the Auditor-General’s Department itself, and the Ministry of Agriculture are the ones left to appear.
The PAC is expected to convene in the last week of October to consider the outstanding ministries and begin hearing on the 16 new reports.