By Ashiadey Dotse
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has called on public officials to account for every cedi entrusted to them and strengthen financial systems to prevent the loss of state funds.
He said recovering misused or unaccounted-for public money should not become a yearly exercise, urging public institutions to put measures in place to prevent financial irregularities.
Dr Ato Forson made the call during an engagement on the Auditor-General’s Report with regional ministers and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs).
He reminded the officials that they were only custodians of public funds and had a duty to manage the resources in the interest of Ghanaians.
“Public money does not belong to government officials; we are only the custodians of those resources,” he said.
The Finance Minister urged the officials to ensure that all recoverable funds were retrieved and that public money under their care was properly accounted for.
“Let us recover every cedi that is recoverable. Let us account for every cedi that is entrusted to us as public officials,” he added.
Dr Ato Forson stressed that accountability should not end with recovering money after financial losses had occurred.
He said public institutions must improve their financial management and oversight systems to protect state resources and prevent similar cases from recurring.
“Let us build systems where recovery becomes the exception, not an annual ritual,” he said.
