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Sekyere East scores 64 per cent in GSAM performance audit

The Sekyere East District Assembly in the Ashanti Region, scored 64 per cent in a performance audit conducted by the Ghana Audit Service (GAS), on two school projects at Naama and Kokoase.

Date Created : 12/12/2020 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Yussif Ibrahim

The audit formed part of the Ghana's Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms (GSAM), project being implemented in 50 districts across the country.

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the project is being implemented by a consortium comprising CARE International, Oxfam and the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) in collaboration with other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

It seeks to strengthen citizens' oversight of capital development projects to improve local government transparency, accountability and performance.

At a town hall meeting to disseminate the findings of the audit and scorecards organized by the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP), the Sekyere East District Assembly, was applauded for adhering to most of the requirements in the planning, budgeting and procurement processes in the execution of the two projects.

The Assembly, however, failed to adequately monitor the progress of the projects, leading to the contractors not meeting all the specifications as agreed in the contracts.

The report also indicated that not all items listed in the bill of quantity were supplied by the contractors and recommended that those monies should be retrieved by the assembly.

Nana Tandoh, Chief of Party of the GSAM Project, asked the Assembly to improve on documentations on the processes leading to the execution of projects, going forward.

He said it was imperative for them to learn from past experiences to enable them to improve on service delivery for the benefit of the people.

He urged the citizenry to keenly monitor capital projects in their localities and provide feedback to the Assembly for the necessary action to be taken.

Madam Mary Boatemaa, the District Chief Executive lauded the GSAM project which she said was empowering citizens to demand accountability from duty bearers in the execution of projects in their communities.

She pledged the Assembly's commitment to work closely with the people and urged them to engage the Assembly with their grievances and desist from acting on false information.

The Assembly, she noted, was working in the interest of the people, stressing that, it could not operate outside the law in the presence of their elected representatives.