Ghana Audit Service has been adjudged winner of the 2021 Best Performance Audit Report among the 26 member English-speaking African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-E). AFROSAI-E is the umbrella body of Auditors-General or National Audit Offices of Anglophone Africa.

Ghana entered the annual competition with the report titled “Provision of flood control drains” and beat off competition from Eritrea, Mauritius, Sudan, Tanzania, and The Gambia to win the coveted award which is sponsored by the Swedish National Audit Office.

The report sheds light on flooding in Ghana with emphasis on the role of the Hydrological Services Department of the Ministry of Works and Housing in preventing perennial flooding in the country. The Report investigated the process of planning, implementing, and maintenance of flood control drains in Ghana.

The aim of the prize, which was launched in 2008 is to encourage the development of performance audits among AFROSAI-E members as well as highlight the efforts made by individual performance auditors in their various countries for recognition.

In a congratulatory message, the Chief Executive Officer of AFROSAI-E, Ms. Meisie Nkau said “the award represents the pinnacle of excellence demonstrated by Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) in their efforts to develop the performance audit discipline. When we first announced this award in 2008, our expectation was that it would encourage our region to share its experiences and best practices, and we are pleased to report that this is still the case 14 years later.

Continuing, Ms. Nkau noted that “Ghana was our very first winner in 2008 [the report was titled Management of Ghana Police Residential Accommodation], and they have shown tenacity, perseverance, and commitment to replicate the same hunger and enthusiasm, by again winning the prize in 2021”. She applauded Ghana for her dedication to performance auditing.

Presenting the award to the winners at the opening session of the 2022 AFROSAI-E Strategic Review and 18th Governing Board Meeting in Banjul, Ms. Helena Lindberg, Auditor General of Sweden said, all the contributions from all the participating countries were very strong and marked a quality increase in performance audit reports in the AFROSAI-E region, noting that “More and more countries with high-quality audit reports are participating in the competition, which is of course very positive”. She said, performance auditing ensures transparency, effective and appropriate use of public resources.

The team that conducted the audit and prepared the winning report was made up of Theophilus Kojo Eghan, Renata Termokie Pinto and Daniel Neequaye under the supervision of the Deputy Auditor-General in Charge of Performance and Special Audits, Mr. Lawrence N. Ayagiba. As part of the award, the audit team pay a study visit to the Swedish National Audit Office with the aim of exchanging knowledge and experience with Swedish colleagues.

The Deputy Auditor-General in charge of Finance, Administration and Human Resource Development received the award on behalf of the Service.

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