By Jones Anlimah
A two-day risk-based internal auditing training for internal auditors for Public Sector organisations is underway at Ho, the Volta Regional capital.
The Deputy Director General in charge of Technical and Field Operations at the Internal Audit Agency, Mr. William Offer-Mensah announced that the government is working on a new internal audit service Bill (IASB).
According to him, the new Bill seeks to convert the Audit Agency into a Service, rationalise conditions of service of internal auditors, and improve the independence and objectivity of internal auditors to ensure professionalism and capacity building.
The two-day training on the preparation of the 2023 Annual risk-based internal audit(RBIA) work plan for public institutions by the Internal Audit Agency brought together participants from the Volta and Oti Regions.
The training is in line with Section 83(4) of the Public Financial Management Act 2016,(ACT 921) which requires Internal Auditors to prepare annual risk-based work plan of activities to be undertaken in a financial year in consultation with the Principal Spending Officer.
It also seeks to equip staff of the Internal Audit Units with the requisite skills to prepare and submit their 2023 risk-based internal audit work plans on time and in a manner and form that complies with the agency’s standards.
The Volta Regional Coordinating Director, Mr Augustus Awuty, said it was unfortunate that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies continue to record infractions as captured by External Auditors in the Auditor-General’s report despite the presence of Internal Auditors.
According to him, the situation should serve as a wake-up call on all Internal Auditors to up their game.
He was hopeful that the two-day training will equip participants, especially from the various MMDA’s to be able to forecast and avert any impending risks within their organisations.
“So this risk-based internal audit work plan is to give you that kind of capacity to be able to forecast and avert some of these risks that will occur in your various organisations”, he added.
The Deputy Director-General in charge of technical and field operations at the internal audit agency, Mr William Offei Mensh, said the training programme which was being organised nationwide takes cognizance of ongoing reforms in public sector internal audit (PSIA) which seeks to promote the practice of risk-based internal auditing to prevent and reduce irregularities associated with the management of public funds.
He charged internal auditors to work with the management of their various organisations to reduce irregularities captured by the Auditor-General and ensure efficient and effective use of public funds.
“Let me also remind you that as an internal auditor in the public sector of Ghana, you are required to in addition to adopting the international professional practice framework (IPPF) for internal auditors as adopted by the internal audit agency comply and exhibit the required professional standards of professionalism, competence, integrity and confidentiality under sections 18, 19 and 20 of the internal audit agency Act 2003 (ACT 658), failure which sanctions provided for under section 25 of the IAA Act which includes imprisonment upon summary conviction for a term not exceeding 5 years in addition to a fine may apply”, he noted.
Participants are expected to be taken through topics including an introduction to RBIA, level of planning in RBIA, Planning for risk-based internal auditing, risk assessment and risk registers and developing strategic internal audit plan.
