We want to ensure that public officers work for their pay – Internal Audit Agency
“I think it is long overdue because if we really want to fight corruption head on, we have to give institutions that investigate these things prosecutorial powers so that prosecution can be done in real time because given it to another institution which has its own prosecutorial protocols will slow the process”
Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Dr. Eric Oduro Osae has revealed that the agency has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to ensure that the government pays fair wages and salaries to workers, whereas workers also increase their productivity.
The agency is keen on ensuring that public workers do not shortchange the government hence its collaboration with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to put in place a very good performance monitoring system to ensure that salaries and wages are tied to productivity.
According to Mr. Osae, the government’s compensation budget is very high and that is affecting government’s revenue.
That is why IAA wants to ensure fiscal discipline by pushing everybody to operate within an approved budget including everybody on the government payroll.
Dr Oduro Osae has appealed to the Parliament of Ghana to expedite the passing of the new Internal Audit Service Bill into an Act to resource and enable them employ more staff and empower them to effectively prosecute culprits.
“I think it is long overdue because if we really want to fight corruption head on, we have to give institutions that investigate these things prosecutorial powers so that prosecution can be done in real time because given it to another institution which has its own prosecutorial protocols will slow the process” Mr. Osae said in an interview with Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show.
He asserts that institutions that did the investigation and have the evidence are in a better position to effectively and expeditiously prosecute cases they have worked on without having to go through administrative bureaucracies in going through another agency.
According to Oduro Osae, the Internal Audit Agency is on the quest of ensuring that public sector employees work for their salaries. Thus; mapping salaries to worker performance. He also expressed worry over the inability of some heads of public institutions to ensure quality assurance.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana
