The 2022 Internal Audit Conference, a flagship program of the Internal Audit Agency was held from 16th-18th August, 2022 at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Auditorium. The theme for the Conference was “Injecting Fiscal Discipline in Resource Mobilization and Utilization for Sustainable Development: The Role of Internal Auditors”. Professor Olivia Kwapong, Dean of the School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Ghana chaired the event.
The 3-day event which had His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice-President of the Republic as the Guest of Honor was graced by Ministers, Development Partners, stakeholders and Internal Auditors from across the sixteen (16) regions of the country. Presentations on topics geared towards resource mobilization and its efficient utilization for the country’s development were made by experienced professionals.
In his welcome address, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) said a nations’ approach to resource mobilization and its utilization is what distinguishes developed countries from developing ones. He mentioned the support the Agency is giving to the government in cleaning the payroll to reduce ghost names, the public sector wage bill and the passage of the Internal Audit Service (IAS) Bill. Dr. Osae petitioned the Vice-President to use his good office to ensure an early passage of the Bill.
The Director-General concluded by congratulating all institutions and Internal Auditors who won awards. He assured the meeting that Internal Auditors are poised to ensure fiscal discipline across the public sector and added that the Bill if passed, would ensure Internal Auditors are motivated and given the needed logistics that will enable them to work towards enhancing fiscal discipline and resource utilization for sustainable development.
In his address, the Board Chairman of the Internal Audit Board (IAB) congratulated Parliament for commencing the process of working with the IAA through Select Committees of Parliament to consider annual reports of public sector Audit Committee submitted six (6) months after the fiscal year in line with the PFM Act. He tasked Internal Auditors to ensure adequate balance between performance and financial auditing, a good balance between conventional pre-auditing and risk-based auditing and mainstream Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) into their operations to enable the Ghanaian public sector see improved financial management and more discipline in its fiscal regime.
In a solidarity message delivered by the German Ambassador to Ghana, H.E Ambassador Daniel Krull, he said Germany feels honored to be among the trusted long-term partners of the IAA and sponsors of the event. He continued that in times of growing financial challenges and shrinking fiscal space, the role of internal auditors becomes even more important. He stressed on the link between resource mobilization and financial discipline in utilizing resources and said Governments will not be efficient in trying to raise the tax / GDP ratio without fostering the people`s trust in fiscal discipline.
He highlighted two aspects regarding resources for local governments. These are:
- Germany’s readiness to continue DLRev support to communities provided Governments request for it.
- Delays in the disbursement of District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) to MMDAs.
His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, delivering the keynote address spoke on the use of digitization to curb corruption in the public sector and stressed on how multiple ghost names have been identified through payroll validation and head count. He mentioned that as a head of institution, he would apply the preventive approach to corruption by resourcing Internal Auditors to enable them give of their best as good value for money.
Dr. Bawumia added that improved submission of reports and subsequent action by Audit Committees and the Agency has provided assurance of functioning control systems in the public sector for improved fiscal discipline. He assured the gathering that government will continue to work with the Internal Audit Agency, restructure and rely on the assurance and advisory services of Internal Auditors.
