Dr. E.O. Osae, Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency on 19th January, 2023 inaugurated the Audit Committee of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA). Dr. Philip Bannor, Registrar of the Agency in his opening remarks said HeFRA is an Agency under the Ministry of Health, established by Act 829. He continued that the inauguration of the Audit Committee was in fulfillment of the requirement of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016.
Delivering his speech, Dr. Osae mentioned that the Audit Committee is a Statutory Committee provided under the PFM Act. He continued that being a regulatory body of health facilities, the activities of HeFRA are associated with many risks hence, the need for the Committee to support it to effectively to deliver on its mandate. He enumerated the statutory roles of the Committee as mandatory, advisory and supporting. According to Dr. Osae, assisting leadership to implement recommendations in Internal and External Audit Reports, directives from PAC of Parliament and monitoring reports with financial implications is one of the mandatory roles of the Committee. The Committee is also required to prepare an annual report, copies of which should be submitted to the Office of the President, Auditor-General, PAC of Parliament and the Internal Audit Agency. He added that the submission of the annual report is important because it is evidence of the Committee’s stewardship.
On the advisory roles, Dr. Osae stated that the Committee should support Management in mainstreaming risk mitigating measures in the institution’s operations. He tasked the Committee to support Management to develop a Risk Management Policy if there is none and if there is, the Committee should ensure its implementation. The supporting roles of the Committee, Dr. Osae mentioned, include providing assurance services to the Internal Auditor to ensure the reduction of infractions. He hinted that the appearance of financial irregularities of an institution in the Auditor-General’s Report is indicative of the inefficiency of the Internal Auditor and by extension, the IAA.
The Director-General mentioned that the following reports will be due for submission as follows:
a) RBIA Work plan will be due on 31st January, 2023.
b) 4th Quarter Internal Audit Report of 2022 will be due on 31st January, 2023.
c) Annual Audit Committee Report will be due on 30th June, 2023.
Dr. Osae in concluding entreated the Committee to develop a good working relationship with the Sector Ministry. He tasked the Committee to assist in putting in place good control systems to reduce infractions and pledged the IAA’s support to its work.
In his closing remarks, the Board Chairman of HeFRA, Dr. Daniel Asare implored the Committee to assist in efforts to convert HeFRA into an Authority.
Members of the Committee are Mr. Ernest Boateng Wiafe (IAA Rep and Chairman of the Committee), Mrs. Lily Nunoo (IAA Rep), Madam Charity Babe Kelley (ICAG Rep), Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei and Madam Vivian Addo-Cobbiah are Board members of HeFRA. Mr. Thomas Kofi Ahianku-Martey is Secretary to the Committee.
