The Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Edward Boateng, has begun an exercise at the various entities to foster a deeper understanding of the key projects and operations of various entities under the authority's oversight.
The exercise, which has seen visits to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana National Gas Company so far, is intended to address infractions highlighted in the 2022 Auditor-General's report.
The exercise, which began on August 28, 2023, will end in mid-September.
During his visit to the ECG, Mr Boateng lauded the company’s recent efforts in revenue mobilisation and applauded the management of the company for recovering a significant amount of debt from power consumers.
Acknowledging the company's innovative cashless system, the Director-General encouraged ECG to continue to develop innovative ways to enhance customer convenience.
"You have demonstrated outstanding dedication to progress and recovery through your revenue mobilisation strategy.
I urge you to further pioneer ingenious solutions while partnering the SIGA to showcase your endeavours," he said.
The interaction also involved the infractions raised in the 2022 Auditor General’s Report, with the ECG management providing responses.
The management expressed the commitment to mitigate infractions in the years ahead.
The Managing Director of ECG, Samuel Mahama, extended gratitude to the Director-General of SIGA and his team, affirming their determination to rectify the identified issues and foster a strengthened partnership with the SIGA.
Infractions
"We greatly appreciate the visit from the Director-General and his team.
We are determined to rectify the infractions and are excited to collaborate with the SIGA to showcase our strides, especially in digitalisation," the MD affirmed.
Continuing the tour, the Director-General's team proceeded to the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC).
The Director-General commended the company for its noteworthy contributions, particularly in social investments and its initiatives to invest in local talent and provide employment opportunities through the engagement of local technicians.
"We recognise the positive strides made by Ghana Gas in fostering local talent and contributing to the community.
It is time to tell your story to the public to reshape perceptions about public institutions," the Director-General stated.
Addressing the concerns raised in the Auditor-General's report, the Ghana Gas team provided comprehensive explanations and welcomed the recommendations offered by SIGA.
The Chief Executive Officer of GNGC, Dr Ben K. D. Asante, expressed gratitude for the visit.
"We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Director-General and his team for this visit, we value this opportunity for open dialogue and are committed to complying with SIGA's recommendations while collaborating to fulfil our mandate," he remarked.
The Director-General was accompanied by Head, Corporate Affairs, Stephen Asiedu; Head of Finance, Alexander Agambilla; Head of Governance, Risk and Compliance, Eric Opoku; Manager PR & External Relations, Louisa Aubin; Manager Director-General’s Secretariat, Godfred Sowah Khartey, and Manager Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Godfred Owusu Adjei.
The Director-General's entity visitation is slated to continue with visits to other entities before mid-September, reinforcing a spirit of transparency, accountability and collective progress in Ghana's Specified Entities.