Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson urges public officials to account for every cedi

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has directed public officials to ensure strict accountability for all state resources, asserting that public money belongs exclusively to the citizens of Ghana. Speaking at an engagement on the Auditor-General’s Report, Dr. Forson emphasized that every cedi entrusted to public officers must be managed with the highest level of integrity and transparency. He urged officials to recognize their role as temporary custodians of the nation's wealth, rather than owners of the funds they oversee.

The Minister challenged regional ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to lead a shift in the culture of financial management. He highlighted the need for structural reforms to improve the oversight of public finances, stating that the recovery of misappropriated funds should ideally be an exception. Dr. Forson criticized the tendency for fund recovery to become a routine occurrence or an "annual ritual," urging officials to instead implement robust systems that proactively protect state assets before losses occur.

In addition to calling for systemic improvements, the Finance Minister stressed the importance of a collective effort to retrieve all recoverable funds identified in previous audit reports. By prioritizing resource protection and strengthening internal controls, Dr. Forson aim to transform public fund management into a more disciplined process that minimizes irregularities. This approach, he noted, is essential for ensuring that the nation's resources are effectively utilized to drive development and benefit the general public.