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Ghana has called on African countries to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of audit recommendations through digital tracking systems, statutory Treasury Memoranda and structured responses from government institutions to improve public financial accountability.
Hon. Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Member of Parliament for Wa East, who represented the Majority Leader, Hon. James Agalga, at the 6th AFROPAC General Meeting, made the call and Conference held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.
Speaking under the theme, “Oversight for Resilience: Strengthening Africa’s Public Accounts Committees amid the Shifting Financial Landscapes,”
Dr. Jasaw stressed that effective public financial management goes beyond accounting and remains fundamental to national resilience, macroeconomic stability and the social contract between governments and citizens.
“Public financial management is not merely an accounting exercise; it is the foundation of sovereign resilience, macroeconomic stability and the social contract between the state and its citizens,” he stated.
He described the conference theme as timely and relevant, urging delegates to translate its objectives into practical outcomes that would promote fiscal discipline, institutional reforms and ensure that public investments achieve their intended purposes.
True Measure Is Systemic Follow-Up, Not Hearings — Non-Negotiable Dr. Jasaw argued that the effectiveness of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) should not be measured solely by the number of parliamentary hearings conducted but, more importantly, by the extent to which audit recommendations are implemented.
He said African countries must urgently address the persistent gap between the identification of financial irregularities and the administrative actions required to resolve them.
“For too long, the work of Public Accounts Committees has been viewed largely through the lens of hearings. However, the true measure of effective oversight lies in systemic follow-up and the implementation of recommendations,” he said.
He described the need for sustained follow-up as non-negotiable, warning against a situation where the same financial infractions and audit findings continue to recur in successive years without meaningful corrective action.
“This requires deliberate implementation of actionable and measurable steps to ensure that we do not come year in, year out to repeat the same things,” he cautioned.
He therefore called for the institutionalisation of responsive procedures, statutory Treasury Memoranda, structured executive responses and clearly defined departmental timelines to ensure Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
Dr. Jasaw disclosed that Ghana had already taken steps in that direction, indicating that the Auditor-General had institutionalised processes to track the implementation of recommendations made by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
“When audit findings are assigned, tracked, resolved and publicly reported, oversight shifts from post-mortem review to an active engine of administrative performance,” he said.
He added that Ghana recognised the importance of measuring oversight by the number of recommendations implemented rather than simply counting the number of hearings held.
Proposes Shared Digital Audit Tracker, Standard Treasury Memorandum, Annual Public Reporting To strengthen accountability across the continent, Dr. Jasaw urged AFROPAC delegates to consider adopting practical measures that would improve collaboration between Public Accounts Committees and Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs).
Among his proposals were the establishment of a shared digital audit recommendation tracker, standardised Treasury Memoranda, clear implementation deadlines, periodic performance reviews and annual public reporting on the status of audit recommendations.
He said such measures would help African parliaments monitor the progress of corrective actions, identify delays and ensure that institutions responsible for addressing audit findings are held accountable.
He further called for stronger coordination among revenue authorities, financial intelligence units and other oversight institutions to establish an effective accountability chain.
According to him, transparent public procurement, disclosure of beneficial ownership and stronger contract oversight must form part of broader efforts to protect public resources and strengthen governance.
On climate and health financing, Dr. Jasaw urged Public Accounts Committees to expand their oversight responsibilities beyond identifying financial irregularities and tax evasion to examining whether public expenditure was producing measurable results.
He noted that, at a time when substantial financial commitments were being announced for climate action and healthcare, African countries needed to ensure that such resources were properly managed and delivered the intended impact. He stressed that the same standards of transparency, accountability and prudent financial management must apply to climate and health-related expenditure.
His remarks reinforced the need for African parliaments to move towards a more proactive and results-oriented approach to public financial oversight, where audit findings lead to concrete administrative reforms and measurable improvements in the management of public resources.
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By: www.frontpageghana.com
