By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Nov. 02, GNA – Dr Pamela Graham, the Auditor-General, says the country recovered over GHS18 billion through the implementation of recommendations contained in audit reports from 2022 to date, as reflected in the Ministry of Finance’s 2024 Consolidated Budget Annual Report.
She said the Auditor-General’s interventions had also helped save GHS11.7 billion from wrongful payments in 2025 alone, demonstrating the value of independent audits in protecting public resources.
Dr Graham made the disclosure at the opening of the Sixth Annual General Meeting and Conference of the African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) in Accra on Monday.
The four-day conference, attended by parliamentarians, auditors and governance experts from across Africa, is on the theme: “Oversight for Resilience: Strengthening Africa’s Public Accounts Committees Amid a Shifting Financial Landscape.”
The Auditor-General expressed concern over the low rate of implementation of audit recommendations in many African countries, noting that corrective actions on parliamentary audit findings were often not carried out.
She said only 41.8 per cent of audit recommendations were implemented in Ghana, compared to 65 per cent in Rwanda, 34 per cent in South Africa and 18 per cent in Morocco.
She said the situation undermined accountability and weakened efforts to promote transparency and prudent management of public resources.
Dr Graham therefore called for stronger policies and institutional systems to enforce the implementation of audit recommendations and ensure that identified irregularities were addressed promptly.
Earlier, the Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin called on Public Accounts Committees (PACs) across Africa, to intensify oversight and hold public officials accountable for the prudent use of state resources.
He said effective oversight by PACs remained critical to promoting good governance, strengthening public confidence in state institutions and advancing sustainable development across the continent.
Mr Bagbin urged African legislatures to work collaboratively in addressing emerging challenges in public financial management and ensuring greater accountability in the use of public funds.
The AFROPAC conference is expected to provide a platform for participants to exchange experiences, share best practices and develop strategies to strengthen parliamentary oversight and public financial accountability in Africa.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo