Tech advancement calls for a strong Auditor - Minister

Accra, Oct. 16, GNA - Mr Kweku Agyeman, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in charge of Audit, on Wednesday said the vast information technology advancement and increasing sophisticated methods of doing business called for an auditor who could stand the challenges of the times.

He said Auditor should was no longer to be perceived as being engaged in an exercise of fault finding and crime detection and who should be treated with exceptional hospitality during audit checks. The Minister was addressing 77 audit trainees, who passed out after a course in Modern Audit Techniques (MATS) in Accra ran for them by the National Audit Offices of the United Kingdom and Sweden. The participants were also taken through Team Building, Audit Planning, Obtaining Audit Evidence, Audit Completion, Quality Assurance, Ethical Rules and Report Writing

Mr Agyeman said the modern day Auditor performed a role so crucial for the advancement of society that made the old perception of the Auditor to pale out into insignificance. He said that was why Government attached so much importance to the work of the Audit Service in particular and the audit function in general.

The Minister said The Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) Document, which is the medium term development policy framework of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government placed emphasis on five thematic areas in a bid to address poverty and ensure growth.

The areas are Macro Economic Stability; Production and Gainful Employment; Human Development and Provision of Basic Services; Programme for the Vulnerable and Good Governance.

He said the modern day Auditor should see himself or herself, as contributing to the attainment of set targets as contained in the medium term priorities of the GPRS.

The Minister said the government would continue with its policy of private sector led growth and welcomed the contribution in this area by the European Union, especially with regard to technical assistance to the Ghana Audit Service.

Mr Edward Dua-Agyeman, Auditor-General, said the training programme would enhance audit techniques in assisting the Ghana Audit Service to achieve the aim of enhancing efficiency, accountability and transparency in public financial management.

Mr Agyeman said because of the progress made and the potentials envisaged; the European Union had extended its support for the project, giving the Service an extension to the first phase up to June 2004. The Auditor-General said the EU would make provision for the second phase from July 2004.

The training programme was a special cooperation between Ghana and the EU.