For the second time in a row, Ghana Audit Service, has won the prize for the best performance audit report in the English-Speaking African Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-E) region.
Audit Service was awarded the prize at the 2023 AFROSAI-E Strategic Review and 19th Governing Board Meeting held in Accra from 8th to 11th May, 2023. The report dubbed: “Fleet Management of the National Ambulance Service” was unanimously declared as the winning report by an independent international jury after the review of reports presented for the award.
A total of 11 reports from the supreme audit institutions of Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda were nominated for this year’s competition. All nominated reports were of high quality and covered a wide range of areas. Several of the audits relates to the 2030 Agenda, which also makes them relevant from a global perspective.
The prize, which was launched by AFROSAI-E in 2008 with support from the Swedish National Audit Office (Swedish NAO), aims to encourage the development of performance audit in English-Speaking African countries and highlight efforts made by individual performance auditors. As Chair of the Prize’s international jury, the Swedish National Audit Office leads the process of selecting the winner.
The Auditor-General of Sweden, Ms. Helena Lindberg, who announced the prize, said the winning audit report revealed problems with conflicts of interest, inefficiency, malfunction, and arbitrariness in the use of resources.
The report addresses an issue of great importance for healthcare in Ghana. The shortage of ambulances in Ghana has long been known and the purpose of the audit, she said, was to ascertain whether measures put in place by the National Ambulance Service to manage its fleet were sustainable and provided a responsive medical service when needed.
“The report has a clear and logical structure, from audit scope and questions to criteria, findings and recommendations, and is well written, so please join me in celebrating the Ghana Audit Service for their excellent work and for succeeding to maintain such a high quality in your work which you have proven by winning the award now for the second time in a row,’’ she said.
Receiving the award, the Auditor-General of Ghana, Mr. Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, expressed gratitude to AFROSAI-E and staff of the Service for the feat chalked and encouraged staff to continue to exhibit a high level of professionalism in the discharge of their assignments.
The audit team behind the winning report is offered a study visit to the Swedish National Audit Office for the purpose of exchanging knowledge and experience with their Swedish colleagues.
