A significant step has been taken in the fight against corruption as at least 95 out of 128 public enterprises in the country have undergone rigorous auditing.
These audited accounts have been thoroughly vetted and verified by relevant institutions and the central government, making them ready for public scrutiny.
The Minister of Public Enterprises, Joseph Cudjoe, who is also an MP for Effia Constituency in the Western Region, shared this update during a media engagement in Accra on Wednesday.
He emphasized that this progress is a result of the government’s commitment to intensify the battle against corruption. Regularly preparing audited accounts for the central government has become a standard practice for all public enterprises, which could contribute to the government’s efforts in tackling corruption in the country.
“I have personally visited 44 public enterprises and interacted with their MDs. We have collectively found solutions to their challenges which is often revenue generation”, he said.
The Minister, who has set an eagle eye on all public enterprises, with the fist of his technical finance background, has issued unconditional directives to all these enterprises for them to comply or face the wrath of the government.
“It is the plan of government to get a whole of government consolidated account, where it will make it easier to check corruption by tracking revenue and expenditure”
He emphasized that the main purpose behind all these actions is to crack down on wastefulness in the public sector and address corruption effectively within the public domain.
During the customary Minister’s Press Briefing in Accra, Mr. Joseph Cudjoe unveiled the Anti-Corruption initiatives. He revealed that back in 2016, only two companies (Public Enterprises) had submitted their audited accounts through the government’s efforts to combat corruption.
“The mindset of the Ghanaian is different when managing their own business compared to managing a state asset”
The reason, he said his outfit issued the directive to all public enterprises to prepare these audited accounts to aid in transparency and accountability.
As a result of the directive issued and the improved compliance rate being recorded, the situation has seen a remarkable improvement. This development is seen as positive news because having the audited accounts of these enterprises would grant the government unrestricted access to assess their performance and curb corruption within the public sector.
Joseph Cudjoe, the firebrand politician expected to run unopposed in the NPP parliamentary primaries for Effia Constituency, has gained recognition for his significant contributions to President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo’s administration.
In his capacity as the person in charge, Cudjoe has committed to ensuring the profitability of public enterprises through proactive and productive policy initiatives. His reputation for being quick-witted and dedicated to serving the nation has been well-established through his various roles as both a legislator and a Minister of State within the government.