Ato Forson reminds MMDCEs that public funds belong to Ghanaians not officials
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has urged public officials to account for every cedi entrusted to them and strengthen systems to prevent the recurring loss of public funds.
He made the call at an engagement on the Auditor-General’s Report attended by regional ministers and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives.
Dr. Forson emphasised that public officials are custodians of the nation’s resources and must manage them responsibly in the interest of citizens.
“Public money does not belong to government officials; we are only the custodians of those resources,” he said.
“Those resources belong to the people of Ghana: Our constituents, our citizens!”
He urged officials to ensure that all recoverable public funds were retrieved, stressing the need for transparency and accountability in the management of state resources.
“So let us recover every cedi that is recoverable! Let us account for every cedi that is entrusted to us as public officials,” he stated.
The Finance Minister, however, stressed that accountability should extend beyond the recovery of misappropriated or lost funds.
He called for stronger financial management systems and preventive measures to minimise the loss of public resources, insisting that recovering public funds should not become a routine annual exercise.
“But above all, let us build systems where recovery becomes the exception, not an annual ritual,” he said.
By Esther Padmore Amonoo
