Audit Agency to deepen accountability

THE Internal Audit Agency (IAA) says it will make efforts to increase public access to information on internal audit activities as part of its re-branding strategy.
That would be done through the employment of a multi-media approach to effectively market the unique product of a value-added internal audit functions.
This was made known by the Board Chairman of the IAA, Nii Adumansa-Baddoo, at a strategic planning workshop held at Sogakope in the Volta Region.
Participants in the workshop were members of the agency’s executive management as well as representatives of the Internal Audit Units of the various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).
The key focus of the new strategic direction of the IAA is the re-branding and effective promotion of internal audit practice in Ghana.
The rationale is to bring internal audit functions to the forefront of the national developmental agenda through the building of strategic partnership with the relevant stakeholders such as the Ghana Audit Service, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), the legislature, the judiciary, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the media, among other stakeholders.
Addressing the participants, Nii Adumansa-Baddoo said the IAA Board was planning to chart a new direction for the agency that would drive its vision of providing value-added internal audit services to all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
“This is particularly so, given the fact that at this stage of Ghana’s democratic governance, most well-meaning Ghanaians would expect the IAA to make a much greater impact by leading the crusade against corruption and promoting probity and accountability within the public sector,” he pointed out.
To achieve its aim, the IAA board is advocating the consolidation of the internal audit resources of the MDAs and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) under one umbrella which would then be considered as the head of the Internal Audit Class.
The proposed change, when implemented, will ensure the independence, objectivity and protection of internal auditors in line with international standards on the practice of internal audit profession.