Pursuant to section 86. (1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) and Section 13.0 of the Guidelines for Effective Functioning of Audit Committees, 2017, HeFRA has inaugurated its Audit Committee Members today 8th August, 2018 at Ministry of Health Conference room.
In attendance were:

1. Hon. Kingsley Aboagye-Gyadu – Hon. Deputy Minister for Health
2. Mr. Ransford Agyei – Ag. Director General, Internal Audit Agency
3. Nana Otuo Acheampong – Board Chairman, HeFRA
4. Mr. Matthew Yaw Kyeremeh – Registrar, HeFRA
5. Mr. Amidu Adakrugu – Director, Administration and Legal, MoH
6. Mr. Edward Fiawoyife – Ag. Director, Internal Audit Directorate, MoH
7. Mr, Dela Kemevor – Deputy Director, Administration –MoH
8. Mr. Martin Adjei – Internal Audit Agency (IAA)
9. Ms Najat Jawula – Head of Finance, HeFRA
10. Mr. Prince Kakah – Head of Internal Audit Department

The newly constituted Audit Committee Members that were inaugurated are as follows:

1. Miss Stella Adjei – Internal Audit Agency (Chairperson)
2. Mr. Albert Tagoe – Internal Audit Agency (Member)
3. Mr. Daniel Tetteh Nartey – Institute of Chartered Accountant, Ghana (Member)
4. Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei – HeFRA Board (Member)
5. Mrs. Vivian Addo-Cobbiah – HeFRA Board (Member)

REMARKS
Mr Matthew Yaw Kyeremeh (Registrar, HeFRA)
In his welcome address the Registrar of HeFRA noted that the Agency is making progress with its operational activities and hope that after the inauguration of the audit committee, the members will help in monitoring the Internal Control System to ensure efficiency in operational activities of the Agency.
Mr Ransford Agyei (Ag. Director General)
The Ag. Director General noted that the Audit Committee is a committee of the Board and its establishment is derived from section 86 (1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). He further touched on the role of the Audit Committee Members. He noted that the audit committee has advisory role and mandatory role to play. He further stated that the committee needs to ensure that Reports that come to them do not focus on only financial issues but other areas such as recruitment, risk management and monitoring activities of the Agency. He reiterated that the committee prepares (i) an annual statement showing the status of implementation of any recommendation contained in an internal audit report; (ii) Parliament’s decision on the Auditor-General’s report; (iii) Auditor-General’s Management letter; (iv) the report on financial matters raised in an internal monitoring unit of a covered entity; and (v) any other related directive of Parliament.
Mr Ransford Agyei again stated that the Audit Committee reports to the Governing Board and the following appropriate authorities: Minister, Parliament, Office of the President and the Auditor-General.
Nana Otuo Acheampong (Board Chairman, HeFRA)
Nana Otuo Acheampong, the Board Chairman of HeFRA, charged the committee to work hard to change the face of the Agency. He further reminded the committee members that if they discharge their duties effectively all irregularities and infractions in the regulation of health facilities will be corrected. He again noted that the work of the committee will help the Agency in preventing incidents that occurred in some hospitals such as Obengfo Hospital from occurring again.
Mr. Aboagye-Gyedu (Hon., Deputy Minister for Health)
The Deputy Minister for Health Mr. Aboagye-Gyedu advised the newly constituted audit committee of the Agency to help address the irregularities in the health sector especially in the regulation of health facilities. He further noted that their work will help raise standards of care and safety in the health delivery system and also raise accountability in the public and private health facilities. He reiterated that their role is both advisory and mandatory to ensure that management pursues the recommendations of the Internal Audit Report for its implementation. He also stated that, the Internal Audit Committee which used to be called Audit Report Implementation Committee (ARIC) has enough powers to work since its mandate is derived from the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). The Hon. Deputy Minister reminded the committee members that they have enough powers to increase accountability and to reduce waste and fraud in the Public Sector. He entreated members of the committee to discharge their duties independently and objectively so that the over 30,000 health facilities across Ghana are monitored, supervised and evaluated periodically to reduce errors in their scope of work. The committee members were urged not to concentrate on only figures as far as audit is concerned but deliver good reports to the Ministry for prompt action.
The Deputy Minister again mentioned that if the committee is able to help the Agency effectively regulate and also register the 30,000 health facilities such as hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and all other health related facilities, Ghana would be able to generate enough revenue to improve health care and help achieve the “Ghana beyond Aid” agenda of Government.