The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament is pushing for a major shift in Ghana’s public financial oversight system, calling for annual audits of government arrears claims to curb waste, fraud and recurring financial irregularities within the public sector.
Chairperson of the Committee, Abena Osei Asare, said waiting until the end of a government’s tenure to conduct special audits creates room for unchecked financial excesses and weakens accountability across state institutions.
Speaking at the close of a zonal PAC hearing in Ada, she expressed deep concern over persistent financial infractions repeatedly flagged in Auditor-General’s reports year after year.
According to her, many public institutions continue to record serious lapses including unsupported expenditures, procurement violations, payroll irregularities, delayed retirement of imprests and weak internal controls.
She further warned that some cases involve deliberate falsification of invoices and financial claims, raising questions about ethical standards and oversight within parts of the public service.
“These issues are not merely accounting errors; they undermine public trust and weaken confidence in state institutions,” Mrs Osei Asare stated.
The PAC Chair stressed that accountability should not begin only when officials appear before parliamentary committees but must be embedded throughout the entire public financial management process.
She argued that transparency and responsibility must start from procurement decisions and documentation through to certification, approvals and payments.
“Every public officer must appreciate that public funds are sacred,” she said, adding that Ghana’s future fiscal discipline would depend not only on laws but also on integrity, professionalism and ethical leadership within public institutions.
Mrs Osei Asare also called on the Ministry of Finance to intensify training programmes for spending officers and middle-level public officials to improve compliance with the revised Public Financial Management Act.
According to her, regular annual audits of arrears claims would significantly improve expenditure control, strengthen fiscal credibility and reduce the need for emergency investigations at the end of political administrations.
The PAC’s proposal comes amid growing national concern over recurring financial irregularities and rising demands for stricter oversight of public spending and state accountability.
