Confront audit infractions with honesty - Accountant-General to public sector accountants

The Controller and Accountant-General, Kwasi Agyei, has called on institutions responsible for managing public funds to confront the persistent audit infractions with openness and resolve.

These infractions, he said, were not merely procedural lapses, but they also signalled a breakdown in accountability and eroded public confidence in the stewardship of national resources.

Mr Agyei, who was addressing this year’s conference of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, stated that the Auditor-General’s annual reports consistently highlighted breaches of financial regulations, weak internal controls, and instances of non-compliance across ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs), which often resulted in significant financial losses to the state.

Public purse

As custodians of the public purse, therefore, he said, “We must strengthen compliance with the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), enforce sanctions where necessary, and use systems such as Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) to enhance transparency, traceability, and real-time oversight.”

He also charged the public sector accountants to commit to moving from recurring audit findings to sustained corrective action, ensuring that public funds were managed with integrity, discipline and full accountability,” saying “the Auditor-General’s Report remains one of the clearest reflections of our performance.”

The two-day conference, on the theme; “Leveraging technology, transparency and accountability for sustainable fiscal governance, offered the department the opportunity to reflect on the progress made, confront challenges and collectively chart a forward-looking path for the public financial management system of the country.

Mr Agyei stressed that reducing audit infractions was a shared responsibility and so if individuals and institutions committed to doing the right things consistently, “we will build a disciplined, transparent and credible public sector.”

Looking ahead, Mr Agyei said, the CAGD was deepening collaboration with the National Identification Authority (NIA) to strengthen payroll integrity through biometric verification.

To that end, he said government employees on the payroll would be required to undergo periodic live biometric verification using facial or fingerprint recognition as part of onboarding the Identity Verification Platform (IVP).

The reform, he explained, would ensure that the payroll continuously aligned with verified identities, not only at the point of entry but throughout an employee’s tenure.

In parallel, Mr Agyei said, the department would sustain momentum in migrating public universities to the centralised government payroll platform.

Building on the progress achieved, Mr Agyei said the next phase would focus on onboarding the remaining institutions.

“This initiative goes beyond a technical migration; it represents a strategic reform aimed at enhancing payroll integrity, eliminating irregularities, and strengthening transparency and accountability in the management of public funds,” he added.

The Controller and Accountant-General said his outfit would continue to work closely with university authorities and key stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition, protect staff welfare and deliver a unified, efficient and credible payroll system for the tertiary education sector.

Gratitude

Mr Agyei expressed gratitude to the Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, for gracing the occasion, saying her participation underscored the unwavering commitment of the government to fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability.

While acknowledging the support of the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Ghana, GhIPSS and commercial banks for advancing payment digitisation, as well as development partners, he commended the staff for their dedication and professionalism.

On capacity-building, he said: “We will continue to invest in staff training and professional development, including the attachment of selected accountants from the department to reputable accounting firms for practical, hands-on experience.”

That, he said, would strengthen technical competence, improve audit readiness, and enhance the overall quality of financial reporting.