Tighten Your Systems” – Atta-Mills Pushes MDAs to Fix Internal Control Gaps

The Ranking Member of the Public Accounts Committee, Samuel Atta-Mills, has urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to deepen collaboration in order to strengthen internal controls and improve the accuracy of payment records to contractors. He made the call during a public hearing of the Public Accounts Committee, where selected government institutions appeared to respond to concerns raised in a Special Audit Report by the Auditor-General. According to Atta-Mills, closer coordination among MDAs is critical to addressing inconsistencies in financial reporting and ensuring that payments made to contractors are properly tracked and updated. He also called on the Auditor-General to conduct a comprehensive audit of outstanding balances across government institutions, stressing that such an exercise would significantly enhance transparency and strengthen accountability in public financial management. The hearing saw representatives from several key institutions appear before the Committee, including the District Assemblies Common Fund, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the Judicial Service, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Health, the National Health Fund, and the Agenda 111 Secretariat. The ongoing sittings form part of Parliament’s oversight responsibility to ensure prudent management of public resources and compliance with financial regulations.