Dodowa, Sept. 8, GNA - Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo, a Director at the Controller and Accountant General's Department at the weekend alluded that political infringements in the administrative functions of accountants had been their greatest challenge. He, therefore, urged politicians to leave professionals especially accountants to work in conformity to standards instead of coercing them to "sing to their tune".

Mr Domelevo stated this at a two-day validation workshop on Corruption Monitoring Indicators organised by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) on the theme: "Assessment of the Anti-Corruption Processes related to Public Financial Management - Weaknesses, and Gaps".

The workshop provided a platform for key stakeholders to discuss and make inputs into the proposed indicators and also to exchange ideas to strengthen collaboration in the fight against corruption. Mr Domelevo also challenged accountants and other professionals to stand-up and defend their right always irrespective of the force or nature of inducement.

"At times it is difficult to differentiate, who is inducing who as some misfit accountants and professionals try to seek favours by sacrificing professional standards," he said. Dwelling on the Financial Administration Act (Act 654), Mr Domelevo said the Act obligates public bodies to prepare and submit a monthly statement of public accounts.

He said within a period of fifteen days, or such other period as Parliament might by resolution appoint after the end of each month, the account must be prepared and transmitted to the Auditor-General and the Finance Minister by the Controller and Accountant-General. Mr Domelevo said strict adherence to the requirement would ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds as the statement of account would show the balance sheet showing the assets and liabilities of the Consolidated Fund as at the end of the month. A statement of revenue and expenditure of the Consolidated Fund for the month; cash flow statement of the Consolidated Fund for the month; and notes that form a part of the accounts, he said.

He explained that the accounts submitted must be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and in accordance with any instructions issued by the Controller and Accountant-General in consultation with the Auditor-General. He said MDAs and other public institutions were mandated to keep an assets' register, which should provide comprehensive information about the status of government assets to demonstrate government's commitment to transparency and accountability for use of public funds. He said these were anti-corruption mechanism, which must be policed by all to ensure that public funds were spent prudently. Mr Domelevo urged the public and civil society organizations, Members of Parliament to track down the number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Co-ordinating Councils and Districts Assemblies who submitted their annual statements of accounts regularly and timely.

He said the Financial Administrative Act mandates MDA and other public bodies to submit an annual financial statement within a period of three months, or such other period as Parliament might by resolution appoint, after the end of each financial year.

Mrs Florence Dennis, GACC Executive Secretary said the validation workshop was to create a platform for civil society and anti-corruption agencies to demonstrate the will to fight corruption.

She said to ensure greater accountability and transparency public officials should be made to adhere to asset declaration regimes. and added "the number of eligible public office holders, who declared their assets and liabilities in the year 2009 in accordance with stipulated timeframe in ACT 550 should be made public".

She said in compliance with the provision of the Public Office Holders (Asset Declaration and Disqualification) Act 1998, the Auditor General's office must published the list of estimated number of public office holders eligible under the ACT to declare their assets for year 2009.

Mrs Dennis said the list must be measured against the number of eligible public office holders, who submitted their declarations on time to the Secretary to the Audit Service Board in compliance with the law. She said such publication would ascertain actual number of eligible public office holders, who declared their assets and liabilities on time, which helped measured whether government was committed to enforcing assets declaration regime.