Accra: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament convened on Monday, September 29, to scrutinize the Auditor-General’s report on various government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, the Government Statistician, who appeared before the Committee in Parliament House, Accra, explained the discrepancies in his outfit’s expenditure, particularly the spending of an alleged GHS46,000 on lunch and per diem by the Cape Coast Office of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
According to Ghana News Agency, the Auditor-General’s report indicated that GHS39,600 was accounted for, leaving a balance of GHS6,400 unaccounted for. However, Dr. Alhassan assured PAC that the issue had been resolved by the regional audit team and pledged that under his leadership, the GSS would avoid such infractions in the future. ‘Honourable Chair, under my tenure as head of GSS, I will ensure my outfit doesn’t get cited by the Auditor-General for such infractions going forward,’ he said.
Before discharging Dr. Alhassan, PAC Chairperson Madam Abena Osei Asare congratulated him on his appointment and wished him well. The PAC’s probe aims to ensure accountability and transparency in government financial dealings.
PAC on Monday, September 29, reconvened to continue its public hearings to review the Auditor-General’s report for the year ending December 31, 2024. The Committee will, from Monday to Wednesday, October 1, scrutinize various government MDAs for alleged financial irregularities.
Some of the ministries appearing before the committee will include the Ghana Statistical Service, Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ministry for the Interior, Ministry of Justice, and Attorney General’s Department. Others are the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; the Ministry of Sports and Recreation; the Ministry of Food and Agriculture; the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture; the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Art; the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry; the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology; and the Ministry of Transport.