The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has praised the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) for its outstanding efforts in the battle against corruption in the country.
"Its value and significance cannot be emphasized," he added, adding that the PAC might be considered as the nerve center of Parliament's accountability and oversight powers.
The institutionalization of the public hearings on the Auditor-report General's through the PAC, he added, was one of the primary areas where there had been significant development.
"The PAC is probably one of the most significant Committees of Parliament," Speaker Bagbin said at the University of Professional Studies in Accra's "The Third Eminent Guest Lecture" (UPSA).
Speaker Bagbin, speaking on the topic "The Future of Parliament in Ghana's Democratic Governance," said the PAC tradition had been adopted by most Parliaments over the years because of its unique attribute as an important watchdog committee, the apex of accountability, with oversight over Executive spending.
He said that the PAC's frontline duty included not only compliance but, more importantly, ensuring value for money in policy execution. "Right now, the major concern of PACs is how they can assure the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of government programs and spending," he explained.
He explained that an effective PAC is made up of people whose major goal is to enhance government management and guarantee that citizens receive services.
accordance to the three E's to its people (economy, efficiency, and effectiveness).
He stated that the PAC holds different government departments accountable in front of the public for the implementation and execution of policies and programs based on legislative purpose.
"Indeed, the PAC's performance is the measure, the barometer of a Parliament's performance and significance," Speaker Bagbin stated.
"In this sense, the performance of the PAC is the clearest sign of successful parliamentary performance."
He remarked that the PAC opened its doors to the public during the fourth Parliament and has since shone light on transparency to some of the difficulties facing our public financial management systems.
"I have firsthand experiences with similar problems as Chairman of the PAC from 2001 to 2005," he stated. He stated that some progress had been made in Ghana's Parliament, noting that the Audit Service Act, Internal Audit Agency Act, Public Financial Management Act, Public Investigation and Accountability Act, and the Budget Bill were all passed with the support of civil society organizations (CSOs) through the PAC/Parliament recommendations, and that the Budget Bill was now being processed for passage by Parliament.
He said that related to the PAC's job was every parliament's vital function of holding governments accountable for their actions and choices.
He said that Parliament was unusual in that it was the only institution with a political mandate from the people to oversee the government's handling of the state.
Acceptance and execution of the committee/recommendations, parliament's according to Speaker Bagbin, is a key sign of the effectiveness of the PAC and, by extension, Parliament, adding that "this is one area where many PACs and Parliaments throughout the globe have failed."
"They do fantastic job and generate attractive, glossy reports that receive very little attention from the government."
There is no greater joy for a PAC than seeing its recommendations put into effect by the administration."
One of the most difficult issues for PACs, according to the Speaker, is having suggestions approved and executed.
"How can Parliaments guarantee that the PAC's recommendations do not become just bits of advice?"
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