Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, has called for punitive sanctions against heads of schools that fail to comply with proper accounting procedures.
This, he said, would make them to sit up and ensure good financial management practices.
Mr Kan Dapaah was winding up the Committee’s sitting in Kumasi to consider the Auditor-General’s report on pre-university educational institutions in Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo for the period 2006 to 2008.
In all, 61 schools in the two regions appeared before it to answer audit queries ranging from unsupported payments, payments on unearned salaries, non-payments of withholding taxes and deductions, purchases from non-VAT registered suppliers, uncompetitive procurements to improper filing of documents.
Mr Kan Dapaah said the Ghana Education Service (GES) must hold headmasters and headmistresses responsible for any acts of omission or commission leading to financial malfeasance in their schools.
It should not be lost on them as heads that they have responsibility to make sure that proper accounting procedures are upheld.
He counselled them to work within the law as they exercised their discretionary powers to protect the public purse.
Mr Joseph Kingsley Onyina, Ashanti Regional Director of Education, urged the heads to strive to be conversant with the rules on financial administration.