The Audit Committee of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) was inaugurated by Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency on 22nd August, 2022. The event was chaired by the Government Statistician, Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim. He thanked the outgoing Committee for its impressive service to the institution and welcomed the new one. He stated that the institution’s activities which involve making available a lot of data for decision-making are driven mostly by donor funding.
Delivering his address, Dr. Osae stated that the Audit Committee is established under the PFM Act to provide advisory and assurance services to public institutions. He outlined the mandatory, advisory and supporting roles of the Committee as prescribed by the PFM Act. According to him, the mandatory roles include supporting Management to implement recommendations from both Internal and External Audit Reports. The Committee is also required to submit an annual report on performance and financial management. He intimated that Parliament currently refers audit reports to the appropriate Select Committee and tasked members to ensure the Service is not requested to appear before any Select Committee during their tenure. Dr. Osae also charged the Committee to quality assure reports submitted by the institution since the RTI Act mandates third parties to request for copies.
On the advisory roles, he mentioned that the Committee should provide advisory and assurance services on sound financial and risk management practices. Dr. Osae charged the Committee to ensure Management mainstreams Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) into its operations. He explained that this is because public sector internal auditing is moving away from conventional auditing to a risk-based one. He offered the Agency’s assistance in the development of a Risk Management Policy and Risk Register if the institution does not have them. On the supporting roles, he tasked the Committee to support the Internal Audit Unit to provide Management with comprehensive advisory service as far as financial management was concerned.
Dr. Osae in concluding, informed members that serving on the Audit Committee of GSS meant rising and falling with leadership and as such work should be carried out in a manner that would not drag the name of the institution in the mud.
Prof. Annim in his closing remarks, said the doors of Management were always open to members. He added that he was looking forward to benefitting from the rich experience of the Committee.
Members of the Committee are Mr. Maxwell Asare-Brewu (IAA Rep and Chairman of the Committee), Ms. Rita Anowuoh, (IAA Rep), Mr. Isaac Amissah-Aidoo (ICAG Rep), Dr. Grace Bediako and Dr. Josephine Dzahene-Quarshie (Board members of GSS). The Secretary of the Committee Mr. Kwadwo Asante Mensah.
