Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem has urged African parliamentary oversight bodies to ensure that audit findings lead to the recovery of misused public funds, sanctions and corrective action, warning that weak enforcement continues to undermine public financial accountability.
Speaking on behalf of Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson at the 6th African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) General Meeting and Conference in Accra, Mr Ampem said the effectiveness of public spending must be measured by the improvements it delivers to citizens.
“Accountability without consequences is just documentation,” he said, calling for corrective measures, recovery of misused funds and sanctions against officials where warranted.
He argued that governments could not continue demanding higher tax contributions from citizens while allowing public resources to be lost through waste and financial indiscipline.
“We cannot keep asking our citizens to contribute more taxes while allowing waste, leakages and financial indiscipline to drain the public purse,” he said.
The Deputy Minister maintained that raising revenue for healthcare, education, infrastructure and job creation was only part of the challenge, stressing that governments must also improve how existing resources are managed.
He called for timely financial reporting, stronger oversight institutions and regular public updates on actions taken to address irregularities, noting that citizens deserved clear explanations of how their taxes were spent.
Highlighting Ghana’s efforts to strengthen public financial management, Mr Ampem pointed to fiscal discipline, expenditure controls and transparency as key pillars of the government’s economic recovery programme. He also cited the passage of approximately 22 laws within 18 months as part of efforts to institutionalise reforms.
He commended Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, particularly its Chairperson, Abena Osei-Asare, for using public hearings to make audit findings more accessible to ordinary citizens.
Mr Ampem further challenged AFROPAC to establish a practical framework for tracking audit recommendations, arguing that success should be measured by problems resolved and public funds recovered.
He urged the organisation to promote stronger cooperation among parliamentary oversight committees and champion independent, adequately resourced institutions capable of holding public officials accountable.
