Minority asks Acting Auditor-General to publish 2019 Audited Accounts Report

The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in Parliament on Monday asked the Acting Auditor General, to as a matter of urgency, submit to Parliament the Audited Accounts of the Government for the 2019 Financial Year

He should also publish the Reports as demanded by the 1992 Ghanaian Constitution.

“The Minority is particularly concerned that these delays may be deliberate for the primary purpose of avoiding further embarrassment to the Government,” the Minority said at a press conference at the Parliament House, in Accra, and asked if the “delays are not intended to cover up malfeasance on the part of Government because this year is an election year.”

Led by the Minority Leader and MP for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the NDC Caucus in Parliament, re-grouped from recess to organize the presser, at which it drew the attention of the Government to the constitutional requirement of the Auditor -General and the Audit Service to audit and submit to Parliament Reports on the Audited Accounts of Ghana for the preceding year within six months after the end of a preceding year.

Mr Iddrisu quoted Article 187 (5) of the 1992 Ghanaian Constitution, which said: “The Auditor-General shall within six months after the end of the immediately preceding year to which the accounts mentioned in clause (2) of this article relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall, in that report, draw the attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament.”

He further referred to Section 20 of the Audit Service Act, 200 (Act 586) which provides that:” The Auditor-General shall, within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year to which each of the accounts mentioned in this Part relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall, in the report, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament.”

Mr Iddrisu, however, observed that “notwithstanding the imperative of the above provisions of the Constitution and Act 586, the Auditor-General has failed to submit and publish his Reports, three (3) months to the end of the financial year.”

“We are therefore calling on the Acting Auditor-General to as a matter of the urgency submit to Parliament, his Reports for the 2019 financial year,” the NDC Caucus urged.

The Minority recalled that the previous Auditor-General, who was asked by President Nana Akufo-Addo to proceed on leave had complied with the constitutional provisions in respect of being up-to-date with his Reports to Parliament, stating for instance that the Reports of the Auditor General for the 2018 Financial Year were submitted within the statutory time limit.

The NDC Minority called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to direct the Acting Auditor General to urgently submit to Parliament for consideration and Report just as he directed the Auditor-General to proceed on leave.

“Accountability, transparency and good governance oblige us all to ensure that the Auditor General complies with the tenets and dictates of the constitution and laws of Ghana,” the Minority Leader said.

Source: GNA