Audit Officers Attend Workshop

Accra, Aug. 20, - Mr Osei Tutu Prempeh, Auditor General, today opened a two-day workshop to provide audit officers with an overview of the proposed Budget and Public Expenditure Management System (BPEMS) and the changes which will be presented by it. BPEMS, is a proposed computerised financial management system aimed at reforming budgeting, accounting and financial reporting systems. It is being organised by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Economic Development Institute (EDI) and Ghana Institute of Chartered Accountants. The workshop will examine the Auditor General's Department and its relationship with the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and the Public Financial Management Reform Programme (PUFMARP). Participants, which include Mr Kenneth Brown, retired auditor general of Canada, two parliamentarians and all regional audit officers, will identify solutions for auditing in the context of BPEMS. The system was developed by PUFMARP which was launched in 1995 to develop an integrated public financial management system. The principal factor which integrates the system is a common, reliable, unified database to and from which all financial data flows and which is shared by all. It is expected to improve the efficiency, accountability and transparency of financial management of the government to enable her maintain macro-economic balance and thereby facilitate the achievement of the goals set in Vision 2020. Mr Prempeh said the government has through the Integrated Personal and Payroll Database (IPPD) and the Financial Sector Adjustment Programme (FINSAP) sought to improve its financial management under the Structural Adjustment Programme. He said all these were ad hoc efforts and did not meet the requirement of an integrated financial management system, hence the introduction of PUFMARP. Mr Prempeh said BPEMS is more comprehensive and officers will be required to audit a computerised database. He urged participants to address the topics and issues that will emerge during the workshop. Aside of examining PUFMARP and BPEMS, participants will have an overview of the Canadian experience, discuss internal auditing and review Coopers and Lybrand recommendations for strengthening the Auditor General's Department.