Internal Audit boss wants auditors posted to Ghana’s foreign missions

The Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae says the agency is engaging with the government to ensure that internal auditors are posted to Ghana’s missions abroad in a bid to ensure that Ghana does not lose money through her foreign missions.

Section 40 of the Foreign Service Accounting Instructions, 2016, requires officers responsible for expenditure in Ghana’s missions abroad to exercise due economy and diligence to ensure that any expenditure incurred complies with the value for money concept but the 2020 auditors report found several infractions of misuse of public funds in Ghana’s missions abroad.

Going forward, Director General of the Internal Audit Agency, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae is proposing the posting of internal auditors to Ghana’s foreign missions as a precautionary measure against wastage.

“What the Internal Audit Agency is doing is to have a discussion with the ministry responsible for foreign affairs and regional integration, so that internal auditors will be posted to Ghana’s critical missions to provide on-the-spot assurance services to the various ambassadors and missions,” Dr. Oduro told the media on the sidelines of the 2021 Annual Internal Audit Conference held at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Back in Ghana, Dr. Oduro Osae has lauded the commitment of the finance minister to the amendment of the Internal Audit Agencies Act, noting that the new law will boost public sector financial management in Ghana.