Treasury Officers and Chief Accountants of state institutions and public Agencies have been called upon to be vigilant and firm not to yield to external pressures from higher authorities to spend public funds outside the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) as the country enters an Election year.
In addition, the Accountants and Finance Officers must ensure that all transactions are in line with the regulations of the Public Financial Management Act (ACT 926), passed in 2016 as any transaction contrary to it was illegal and will land them into dire consequences.
The Minister of Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta made the assertion when he addressed staff of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) at the Annual Thanksgiving/Nine Lessons and Carols Service at the Treasury Head office in Accra.
He said the Ministry of Finance will stand firm by and protect staff of the CAGD as Treasury Officers and Accountants in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and other state parastatals who go strictly by the PFM Act and work through the GIFMIS at all times.
Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta said the CAGD was one of the key Agencies of the Ministry of Finance with the responsibility of prudently managing Public Funds and which meant that the staff must be dedicated, committed and selfless.
The Acting Controller and Accountant General, Mr. Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem said the Department has initiated a number of policy interventions aimed at improving the service delivery of staff including the Electronic System Payment Voucher (ESPV), designed to eliminate ‘ghost’ names form the Government Payroll, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT).
He said a vigorous programme aimed at training and up-skilling staff of the Department is currently on-going and urged all staff to partake in the exercise to develop and upgrade them to enhance their productivity in a fast changing work environment.
Nana Prof. J.B. Ato Ghartey, Mr. Eugene Asante Ofosuhene, and past controller and accountant generals of Ghana who were at the ceremony commended the current Management and staff for efficiently carrying out the mandate of the Department, especially in the prompt monthly payment of salaries of employees on Government Payroll.
Delivering the sermon at the Service, Dr. Joseph Kofi Antwi of the Presbyterian Church, Ghana called on the staff to be guided by honesty and sincerity in the discharge of their duties to help the Department move onto the next level.
