Ampem calls for stronger internal controls to curb financial irregularities
Story by: Regina Bless
Deputy Minister for Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem has called for stronger internal controls across public institutions to prevent financial irregularities, improve accountability and safeguard public funds.
He said effective internal auditing was essential to ensuring that public resources were properly managed and directed towards national development priorities under the government’s New Economy agenda.
Mr Ampem made the call while speaking on behalf of the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Institute of Internal Auditors Ghana.
He urged internal auditors to move beyond identifying financial weaknesses after they had occurred and adopt a more proactive approach focused on preventing losses and addressing risks before they undermine public finances.
According to him, Ghana’s development ambitions require substantial investments in infrastructure, skills development, technology and productive enterprises, making it necessary to protect scarce public resources from waste and mismanagement.
“Our ambition is to build a more productive, industrialised and resilient economy that creates jobs, adds value to our resources and improves livelihoods,” he said.
“But we cannot mobilise scarce resources for development on one hand and allow them to leak through weak financial controls on the other.”
Mr Ampem cited figures from the 2025 Auditor-General’s reports, which showed that financial irregularities across five categories of public institutions declined from approximately GH¢20.72 billion in 2024 to GH¢7.69 billion in 2025.
The figures represent a reduction of GH¢13.03 billion, equivalent to 62.9 per cent.
Although he welcomed the improvement, the Deputy Minister stressed that the remaining irregularities highlighted the need for continued efforts to strengthen accountability and improve public financial management.
“A 62.9 per cent reduction is progress. GH¢7.69 billion in remaining irregularities is a reminder that the job is far from finished,” he said.
He also drew attention to findings from the audit of the government’s legacy arrears and payables, which resulted in the rejection of GH¢8.1 billion out of GH¢68.7 billion in claims submitted for verification.
The rejected claims included those lacking adequate supporting documentation, duplicate claims, falsified receipts and payments sought for work that had not been carried out.
Mr Ampem said the findings underscored the importance of preventive controls and thorough verification before public funds were disbursed.
“The lesson is that it is better to stop an improper payment before it is paid than to spend years trying to recover it,” he stated.
He called on internal auditors to intensify their scrutiny of procurement processes, payroll systems and major public investments to identify potential risks early and prevent the misuse of state resources.
He further encouraged public institutions to adopt data analytics, digital tools and continuous risk assessment to strengthen their auditing systems.
However, he emphasised that digitalisation alone would not be sufficient without professional competence, institutional independence and management accountability.
The Deputy Minister also urged heads of public institutions to empower internal auditors, protect their independence and act promptly on audit recommendations to prevent recurring financial weaknesses.
He noted that the success of the government’s New Economy agenda would depend not only on the resources mobilised for development but also on how effectively those resources were protected and utilised.
“We cannot build a New Economy with old habits of waste, weak controls and avoidable financial losses,” Mr Ampem said.
His remarks reinforce the need for stronger preventive auditing, transparent financial practices and effective institutional oversight as Ghana seeks to reduce waste, improve public-sector accountability and channel more resources into national development.