Six-member Audit Committee inaugurated for Gaming Commission

The Gaming Commission of Ghana has inaugurated a six-member audit committee to help to ensure sound financial management and control systems.  

The Committee has Mr. Abdul Karim Hatsu as Chairman and Mr. Fiifi Kwakye, Ms. Juliet Nana Yaa Opoku-Manu, Mr. John Bayuo Waris and Mr. Ransford Kissi Appiah as members, with Ms. Beatrice Baiden being the secretary.

Deputy Games Commissioner, Mr. Kobby Annan, congratulated the Committee members and expressed appreciation to the outgoing Committee members for their tremendous work in ensuring improvement in the Commission’s good governance, risk management and control systems.

He reiterated management’s commitment and readiness to work with the new team to achieve better financial discipline through the Organisation’s prudent financial management.

Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, Director General, Internal Audit Agency, (IAA) touched on the statutory, advisory and supporting roles expected of the Committee and urged it to work with management of the Commission to implement recommendations of both the internal and external auditors for effective control systems.

Dr. Osae also urged members to produce annually, an audit committee report, which captured all reports that came to the Committee’s attention, as well as all recommendations that the internal auditors, external auditors and Parliament made on the Organidation’s operations.

In the area of the Committee’s advisory role, Dr Osae urged the members to advise the Commission on mainstreaming enterprise risk management in its operation.

“At the moment, the public sector internal audit system is moving away from the conventional pre-auditing to risk-based audit so that internal audit can be proactive in supporting management.

We don’t want management to fall into the deep ocean before we pull them out. Ours is to prevent so, we are moving away from conventional pre-auditing to risk-based auditing. So, support the institution to mainstream enterprise risk management in their operations, ” he added.

The Director General of the IAA also reiterated the need for the Committee to support the Internal Audit Unit of the Commission to develop an annual risk plan and implement the plan, by conducting and submitting quarterly internal audit reports as an update on the internal control systems.

He said government was working with the Agency, the Audit Service, and Controller and Accountant Generals Department, to develop an audit report implementation tracking tool.

“This tool will help to monitor the implementation of all the recommendations made either by the internal auditor, external auditor or parliament.”

Mr. Abdul Karim Hatsu, Chairman of the Committee, assured that they would work diligently.

The Committee would serve for a period of two years, renewable for another two-year term, subject to satisfactory performance.