Yesterday, we carried a story on our front page which said President Akufo-Addo is not happy with the 2021 Auditor-Generals (AG) report. It was reported that the President is apparently displeased with the numerous infractions linked to State-Owned Enterprises (SoEs) in the report and hence summoned the heads of these institutions to register his displeasure.
The President said these entities have been set up to promote public economic activities and contribute to Ghana’s GDP amongst others, but the AGs report clearly shows an increase in infractions and was very disheartened that the entities are doing the opposite of the very reason they exist.
We are informed the President has directed the Director General of State Interests and Governance and Authority and the AG to drill down to the causes of the infractions, identify the persons responsible, make the necessary recommendations as prescribed by law and submit a report to the Chief of Staff in four weeks.
The President also asked the Board Chairs of these entities to ponder over why SoEs or specified entities are not faring well in the same sectors in which their private sector counterparts are thriving and making profit.
We would have highly commended the President for this action he took by inviting them to register his displeasure if this was the first time the AG has cited state institutions for infractions in his report.
The Auditor General, whose mandate has been stipulated in articles 184, 187 and 286 of the 1992 constitution, has over the years audited and reported on the public accounts of all public offices, including the courts, the central and local government administration, universities and public institutions of like nature, public corporation and other bodies or organisations established by an Act of Parliament.
But over the years, what we have observed is that those who are usually found at the wrong side of the law are usually hauled before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, made to respond to the infractions and are usually asked pay for which ever amount that was siphoned from the institutions and left to go and sin no more.
We have also observed that many a time, the officers who committed the infractions are not even the ones who appear before the PAC to respond queries. We contend that the reasons these state entities continue to commit infractions is because the laws are not biting enough.
The Chronicle thinks that it is high time this country takes a second look at its laws. We are of the belief that if people are given custodial sentences and made to spend some time in jail for these infractions, it would serve as a deterrent to others.
We are very happy that the President took note of the fact that people in the private sector who are carrying out similar services are performing better than those in the state entities.
We would like to inform the President that the private man is out there to make profit and would not think twice to sack whoever plays with his job and if we are to apply a similar rule in the public sector, we believe people will sit up and work their socks off.
We are, therefore, calling on the President to take stringent measures against some of these heads of institutions and their staff who commit these infractions, if these entities are to rake in the needed revenue to support Ghana’s GDP.
