In her opening address, Mrs. Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Commission welcomed all warmly to the Commission. She thanked the Director-General for the support to the Commission in strengthening the audit processes and guidance in the use of the public purse.
Mrs. Mensa said the Commission strives to ensure that the provisions of the Public Financial Management Act are enforced and implemented. She noted that year after year the Commission has been able to lower the cost of election significantly due to prudent use of resources and transparency. She assured the Committee of the Commission’s support and thanked the outgoing Committee for their guidance in ensuring accountability at the Commission.
The Director-General addressing the meeting thanked the members of the Committee for accepting to serve on the Commission’s Audit Committee and the outgoing Committee members for their support to the Commission. He tasked them to continue to cut cost and implement good financial management practices.
Dr. Osae advised that an initial orientation is given to the new members to enable them understand the nitty-gritty of the Commission to reduce the whys that come up in their work.
The Director-General said the Audit Committee is a statutory committee established under the Public Financial Management Act and members are required to serve as a supporting structure and not to take over the management of the Commission.
The Committee he said has three main roles, Mandatory, Advisory and Supporting. On the mandatory role, the Committee is to support the Commission implement recommendations from Internal Audit reports, External Audit reports and give financial advice. Dr Osae noted the submission of reports with due diligence with regards to the sensitive nature of the Commission.
As experts in their own rights and from respective fields, the Audit Committee members have a crucial role in advising the Commission on best practices. He n0ted that the reputational risk of the Commission is higher than its physical risk and encouraged members to ensure delivery without delays in processes.
In her closing remarks, Mrs. Jean Mensa welcomed the newly sworn-in members onboard, wished them success and looked forward to a long-standing relationship and fruitful partnership.
The members of the Audit Committee are Mr. Richard Ntim (Chairman and IAA Rep), Mr. Ransford Agyei ( IAA Rep), Mrs. Diana Commey ( ICAG Rep ). Rev Akua Ofori-Boateng and Mr. Bossman Asare are members of the Commission. Mrs. Stella Abrokwa-Ankoh is the Secretary to the Committee.
