The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council on 20 October 2022 hosted a meeting between key officers from the various MMDAs and the Ghana Audit Service.
The meeting according to the Regional Coordinating Director (RCD) of the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mrs Emelia Ayebeng Botchway was a necessary step in an attempt to minimize to the barest minimum the various issues raised in management letters that are issued to the MMDAs.
According to the RCD, the meeting was meant to serve as a platform for a healthy interaction between the key staff at the MMDAs, thus, Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors, Finance Officers, Internal Auditors and staff of Ghana Audit Service. She noted that, there is the need for nonconfrontational discussion between the two to forge a better understanding that will help in avoiding Audit queries so as to prevent MMDAs from appearing before the Public Account Committee (PAC).
The Members discussed various important issues. Among the issues is the choice of words of Auditors which sometimes seem incriminating. It was agreed that appropriate words should be used. Also, the need for MMDAs to place importance on entry and exit meetings with Auditors was stressed.
Mr. Francis Gyirah -Darko, the Dean of Coordinating Directors in the Ashanti Region and the Coordinating Director for Obuasi Municipal indicated that the meeting has been beneficial and enlightening. He expressed the hope that the needed impact would be felt.