CAGD to Upgrade Training School (Page 11)

Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah
THE Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) will from the next academic year upgrade its training school at Dansoman in Accra to a degree and diploma-awarding institution.
It will offer training to all public sector accounting staff to enable them to improve upon their performance in their day-to-day activities.
The Director of Training of CAGD, Mr Samuel Doedu, told the Daily Graphic in a telephone interview that the college would be affiliated to the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
He said the management of the institution was currently awaiting accreditation from the National Accreditation Board (NAB) expected to be issued before the 2008/2009 academic year begins in August, 2008.
He explained that the institution was going to be a collaborative effort between the CAGD and UCC, adding that lecturers would come from the two institutions to enable students to gain theoretical as well as practical training in accounting.
“We will ensure that courses offered at the school are relevant to public sector accounting processes and also more practical,” he pointed out.
Mr Doedu said presently rehabilitation work was almost complete at the old school compound to put the existing facilities in good shape to befit a university college.
He expressed the hope that accounting staff in the public sector throughout the country would take advantage of the school and endeavour to improve upon their skills.
In an interview, an employee at the CAGD, who wanted to remain anonymous, welcomed the establishment of the college, adding that it would help them improve upon their ability, which in the long run, would benefit the country.
He observed that many of the cases of alleged misappropriation of state funds levelled against public sector accounting staff could be attributed to mistakes on the part of the affected staff and expressed the hope that if they were offered the opportunity to improve upon their performance, many of such mistakes would be avoided.
The source appealed to the management staff at the various ministries, departments and agencies to provide the needed support to their staff to enable them to take part in programmes to be offered at the college.