The Eastern Regional Minister, Honourable Seth Kwame Acheampong on behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana,Nana Akufo-Addo has commissioned New Office for the Audit Service in West Akim at Asamankese.
The ultra modern edifice contains; a reception area, executive offices that can host meetings, general offices, workshop/ training rooms, storage, washrooms, server room, a kitchenette, a guard room and other ancillaries.
This follows similar one which is a two-storey Eastern Regional office, is one of three regional offices (Central and Volta Regions) and a total of 19 offices across the country, all funded by the German government.
The building will house the District Head office of the Audit Service in order to create a conducive environment for the audits of the public institutions in the district.
Speaking on behalf of the President, Eastern Regional Minister Honourable Seth Kwame Acheampong said in 2016, cabinet approved a loan facility of 13 million euros from the KfW, a German Development bank group for the construction of 25 regional and district offices for the Audit Service.
He said the loan facility agreement was executed on 12th December 2016 following Parliamentary approval on 31 October 2016.
The Minister said procurement process was disrupted by bureaucratic practices which delayed the project causing an increase in the cost of construction and hence reducing the number of offices to be constructed from 25 to 19.
These 19 offices included the three regional offices which have already been commissioned in Koforidua, Cape coast and Ho.
He said this stands out as a testimony of the New Patriotic Party government’s commitment to addressing the long standing problem that has plagued the Audit Service throughout the country.
The Minister said other District Offices are set to be commissioned at Offinso, Efijuasi and Tepa in the Ashanti region.
Others are located at Apam, Winneba,Twifo Praso,Bibiani, Tepa,Half Assini,Asankragua,Kpando,Dodowa(Commissioned on 22nd November),Navrongo,Bole,Kintampo,Atebubu and Wenchi.
He stated that the government of Germany during the 2020 Ghana and Germany inter governmental negotiations committed an additional EUR11.5 million to the project in order to enable the Audit Service to construct additional six regional and districts offices in the New Regions.
The Office of the Auditor-General and the Ghana Audit Service, were established by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. Internationally, the equivalent of Ghana Audit Service is referred to as the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI).
Audit Service is the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Ghana and one of the monitoring and accountability organs of the state. It is a Public Service institution set up as the machinery by which the Auditor-General executes his mandate. The 1992 Constitution (Articles 184, 187 and 286) has established a broad mandate for the Auditor-General to carry out.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Mensah Atakora
