The Audit Committee of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) was inaugurated by the Director-General on 21st December, 2022. In attendance were the Director-General of GHS, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye and Dr. Sefa Sarpong Bediako, Chairman of the GHS Council.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Kumah Aboagye said the GHS is a huge organization whose main challenges are human resource and finance-related. He intimated that recently, the Service has witnessed a decline in infractions. He entreated the new Committee to assist in developing systems that will lead to further reduction in infractions.
In his address, the Director-General mentioned that the Audit Committee is a high-level corporate governance Committee which adds to the effectiveness of public accountability and efficient use of state resources. He added that the inauguration of the Committee was to fulfil the responsibilities imposed on the institution under Section 86(1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016, and Public Financial Regulations, 2019 among other laws.
Dr. Osae enumerated the mandatory, advisory and supporting roles of the Committee provided under the PFM Act, 2016. He expounded that the mandatory roles include supporting Management to implement recommendations contained in Internal and External Audit Reports and Reports of Monitoring Units, especially those that have financial implications. Another important mandatory role of the Committee is the preparation and submission of an annual report on the activities of the Committee. The report should include an annual statement of status of implementation. The report, he said should be submitted to the Office of the President, Minister for Finance, Auditor-General, PAC of Parliament and the Internal Audit Agency.
The advisory roles of the Committee include providing advice on the financial and risk management practices of the Service. He tasked the Committee to ensure the implementation of the risk policy of the institution and if there was none, the Committee should help Management develop one. On the supporting roles. Dr. Osae informed the Committee that, it is to assist the Internal Auditor prepare and submit quarterly internal audit reports on time.
Members of the Committee are Mr. Charles K. Otoo (IAA Rep and Chairman of the Committee), Mrs. M.N.A. Offei-Koranteng (IAA Rep), Mr. Francis Nsiah-Afriyie (ICAG Rep), Mr. K. Hammond and Ms. Edna Awuah-Baffour are representatives of the GHS Council.
