Veep Charges Ministers To More Action

Accra, Aug 29, -- Vice-president, John Evans Atta Mills, today charged Ministers of State to prepare financial accounts of their departments and make them public at the end of each financial year. This is in compliance with Section 47 of the Financial Decree which requires every head of department to prepare and submit to government a report on the appropriation granted it, within three months of the end of the financial year. The Minister responsible for the department has to endorse the report and cause it to be published to the public. "Hitherto, this aspect has not been complied with," Professor Mills told Ministers attending a one-day seminar of the Public Financial Management Reform Programme (PUFMARP) in Accra. The seminar organized by the Ministry of Finance is under the theme: "Improving Efficiency, Accountability and Transparency In Public Financial Management." It is aimed at ensuring a high sense of commitment of Ministers to the goals of vision 2020 and to re-examine their capacities at financial management. Prof Mills said towards the preparation of the 1998 budget, Ministers will be required to personally prepare and attend budget hearings with their key personnel and make it their personal responsibility to ensure the success of the reform programme. Prof Mills said PUFMARP aims at increasing the material and resource base of the public sector to enhance its efficiency and make it more responsive to the needs of the times. "With a strong and well-founded resource base, an efficient financial management system operated by well-trained and Competent personnel, we can hope for a significant improvement in policy formulation and programme execution which should help us in the realization of our Vision 2020. "PUFMARP is not just another of those ad hoc attempts at fire- fighting our financial management problems. It is a serious effort to revamp our system for the better''. He asked for coordination between PUFMARP and other reform programmes such as Civil Service Performance Improvement Programme, National Institutional Renewal Programme and Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education, to ensure the attainment of the best results. Mr Kwame Peprah, Minister of Finance who chaired the function, said there is the need for Ministers to be able to respond quickly and effectively to issues and changes in society. "To enable us to do this, we need to increase our resource base, be alert and interested in what goes on around us. PUFMARP, is aimed at doing this," he said. Almost all sector Ministers and their Chief Directors were present at the meeting.