PAC Chair asks for more power to punish indicted persons in A-G reports

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has expressed worry over the continued irregularities committed by public institutions, as contained in various Auditor-General reports.

The chairman, Hon. James Klutse Avedzi noted that it is necessary to attach stiffer punishments to persons who are fallible in these regards in order to deter others from perpetuating same.

Hon. Avedzi spoke to the media on the sidelines of the committee’s sitting in Tamale. The Committee will be undertaking a week-long hearing, and has seen the St. Charles Minor Seminary Business Senior High School, Bole Senior High School, EP College of Education, Bagabaga College of Education among others.

He has subsequently requested that the Public Accounts Committee be given more powers to enable it commence punitive actions against offenders.

“It is becoming worrying that issues that are reported over and over and recommendations that are made by the Auditor-General keep coming up. You can see clearly that most of them come to the committee to lie because their representations are not exactly what happens on the ground,” he said.

“These are the problems that we have. That is why we have been saying that the Public Accounts Committee should be given some more powers so that we will be able to take action against some of these people to serve as a deterrent to others,” he added.

The Auditor General found that various institutions within the country committed financial irregularities that amounted to almost GHS12.8 billion in 2020. The figure was determined at GHS3 billion in 2018 and rose to GHS5.5 billion in 2019.