The Ag. Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Mr. Conrad Z. Dumbah, led a management delegation to pay a courtesy call on the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) and the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS) on 28th July 2026 to strengthen collaboration among the institutions in promoting sound public financial management. The meeting focused on enhancing internal controls, improving compliance with regulations and identifying practical ways to safeguard public resources.
Addressing the delegation, the Controller and Accountant-General, Mr. Kwasi Agyei, stated that although the IAA and CAGD have different mandates, they share the common objective of protecting public resources and ensuring value for money. He noted that the Auditor-General’s reports show a reduction in financial infractions and encouraged both institutions to work together to sustain progress. He also expressed optimism that the engagement would be productive and congratulated Mr. Dumbah on his appointment, wishing him success in his new role.
Discussions centered on strengthening the public sector control environment through enhanced payroll security, improved implementation of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and joint capacity-building programmes for internal auditors, Audit Committees and Boards.
The Ag. Deputy Director-General responsible for Finance, Administration and Support Services (FASS), Mr. Bismark Aborbi-Ayitey, stressed the importance of pre-auditing in safeguarding public funds and proposed that GIFMIS should enable internal auditors to make comments within the system. He also suggested closer collaboration with banks to investigate salaries that remain unclaimed over extended periods.
Delivering his address, the Ag. Director-General expressed support for pre-auditing as an important control measure and called for closer collaboration between the IAA and CAGD on payroll audits, with greater involvement of internal auditors in the payroll validation process through the review of validated payroll data. He stressed the need to strengthen compliance with regulations and promote greater effectiveness and efficiency across the public sector. He also recommended integrating the payroll system with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to strengthen payroll integrity and address security challenges within the payroll system.
In his closing remarks, the Ag. Director-General reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to working closely with the CAGD to strengthen internal controls and promote transparency, accountability and effective stewardship of public resources.
The delegation’s visit to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service (OHCS), focused on the two institutions strengthening collaboration to reinforce internal controls and promote compliance across the Civil Service.
The Chief Director of the OHCS, Mr. Sylvanus Adzornu, commended the Agency for the progress made in strengthening the internal audit function and acknowledged its contribution to improving internal controls across the public sector.
In his address, the Head of the Civil Service, Dr. Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, emphasized the critical role of the Civil Service in public administration and called for closer collaboration between the two institutions to proactively prevent irregularities rather than respond to them after they occur. He noted that this would help strengthen internal controls, improve compliance, reduce avoidable infractions and support national development.
Mr. Dumbah, the Ag. Director-General of IAA thanked the Office for its continued support and called for continuous partnership in promoting accountability across the public sector. He expressed the Agency’s commitment to serving as a trusted assurance partner in delivering development in an accountable manner. He further noted that the Agency will maintain regular engagements with the OHCS and encouraged constructive feedback and recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of internal audit in government institutions.
Continuing its series of courtesy calls, the Agency’s delegation visited the Ghana Audit Service (GAS) on 30th July 2026. During the visit, the delegation held fruitful discussions with the Auditor-General, Dr. Pamela Graham, her deputies, and other members of the Management team, reaffirming both institutions’ commitment to strengthening collaboration in pursuit of effective public sector governance and accountability.
The discussions centered on key areas of mutual interest, including:
- strengthening partnership and collaboration in the promotion of assurance and advisory services,
- enhancing the capacity of staff through joint training initiatives, and
- fostering stronger coordination in the monitoring and implementation of audit recommendations.
As part of his stakeholder engagement efforts, the Ag. Director-General paid a courtesy visit to the Head of Service of the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHGLS), Prof. Lord Mensah, on 31st July 2026. The discussions focused on strengthening the working relationship between the two institutions, enhancing collaboration as trusted assurance partners to promote accountability and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and building the capacity of officers responsible for promoting accountable governance.
