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A-G's Office urged to do the right
thing
Accra, March 29, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of
Finance and Economic Planning, made a call on the
staff of Controller and Accountant-General's department on
in Accra on Thursday.
The minister noted how in recent
times the department had hit the headlines with incidents of
corruption, fraud and embezzlement and urged them to strive
to maintain the confidence and
integrity that were required to keep trust of public funds.
"When an institution, like ours
is being attacked, let's accept the challenges and reform by
doing the right things." He told the staff.
"We cannot fail in protecting
the interest of Ghanaians and government," he told the
delegates.
The occasion for was on the
opening of the department's jubilee annual conference in
Accra. Minister Baah-Wiredu took the opportunity to
express to the delegates present his confidence in the
Kufuor's government for having secured a personnel capable
of prudent fiscal and economic management at the Accountant
General's department..
This conference was the first in the past 10 years. It
was originally instituted to bring management and staff
together once every year to plan for the coming year.
Minister Baah-Wiredu hoped the tradition would now continue.
The conference this year which
was to last for two days and would develop strategies
towards efficient management of public funds by reviewing
the existing process so as to enhance it with improved
methods.
Mr Baah-Wiredu charged the staff of the department to
re-orient themselves and desist from corrupt practices that
spoil the image of the department. He also reassured all
public sector workers that government was determined to
reform the public sector as promised.
"This explains why government is projecting a wage bill of
13.2 trillion representing 66 per cent of total
discretionary expenditure," he said.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said come 2008, the Fair Wage Commission
would come with a new comprehensive pay structure that would
maintain its integrity and ensure equity on an ongoing
basis.
"By the end of implementing the new structure every public
sector employee would have received an enhanced salary," he
said.
He added that it was in line with this background that
government was proposing a bi-weekly payment of salaries to
public servants in a bid to ease the stress of most workers.
Touching on the energy situation, Mr Baah-Wiredu urged the
staff of the A-G's Office to give paramount attention to the
demands of the energy situation, because more money was
needed in that sector.
He, however, cautioned them against leakages, saying that
complacency would not be tolerated on the part of any staff.
He announced that work on the Bui Dam project would start on
June 15, since all the negotiations had been completed.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said the nation had been placed on a high
pedestal in international circles and this needed to be
maintained and improved upon.
Mr Christian T. Sottie, Controller and Accountant-General
said the department was determined to build a multipurpose
training school to address the training needs of staff and
also serve as a centre for professional studies.
On the Pension Scheme, he said plans were far advanced for
the decentralization of the pension processes to take off.
He said preparations so far included the provision of fully
equipped offices in all regional directorates, installation
of cameras and computers and the training of identified
staff to start the photo identification card exercise at the
regional level.
GNA
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