He said as front-line guardians and watchdogs of the public purse, they must ensure every government expenditure brought value to the country and the citizens.

The President stated this in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah, in Accra yesterday, during the 2025 Annual Internal Auditors Conference.

The two-day programme was on the theme: “Resetting the Ghanaian Economy: The Role of the Internal Auditor.”

The programme would have plenary sessions on topics such as The Nexus between Monetary and Fiscal Policies as Instruments for Economic Development—What Auditors Must Know, Automating the Public Financial Management (PFM) Cycle of Ghana for Fiscal Discipline and Value for Money: Challenges and the Way Forward, Strengthening Fiscal Decentralisation for Economic Reset, and Rebuilding Trust through Robust Corporate Governance.

The President said internal auditors should be champions of transparency and guardians of financial accountability.

“There can only be sustained economic growth and development when the pillars of accountability are strong. When light is brought upon the actions of public servants, when there is transparency, and when internal auditors act in a bold and fair manner,” he elaborated.

Additionally, President Mahama stated that although internal auditors had contributed a lot to the success the government had chalked in the past 10 months, there was still more to be done, saying:

“I still need your support. Your tireless effort at every step of the way.”

 

He added, “We rely on you to help detect irregularities, prevent fraud, and ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and institutional policies. As you flag potential infractions through your audit activities, you expose leakages of public funds and ensure that there is value for money in operations and programmes of our various institutions.”

President Mahama urged internal auditors to move beyond traditional compliance checks and become partners in strengthening governance and safeguarding resources.

Furthermore, he advised public and civil servants to eschew the spirit of corruption, selfishness, profligacy, and wastefulness in public spending, stressing:

“Let us ensure strict budget compliance, practice good procurement engagements, and optimise revenue generation and institute strong accountability mechanisms to counter revenue leakages.”

He also charged all heads of institutions to cooperate, resource, and support internal auditors in their consulting and assuring mandates, noting that this is the only way real value can be obtained from internal audits.

The Acting Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency, Mr Thomas Ashaley Thompson-Aryee, said the theme could not have been more timely. He noted that resetting the Ghanaian economy “goes beyond restoring macroeconomic stability,” adding that it involves rebuilding public confidence in financial management systems, strengthening fiscal discipline, and ensuring accountability at all levels of governance.

He added that the internal audit function today was not confined to traditional compliance checks but had become a strategic partner in governance, ensuring that government policies and programmes translate effectively into tangible results for citizens.

The Country Director of GiZ Ghana, Dr Dirk Abmann, in his remarks, indicated that international auditing was not only about compliance but also the heartbeat of institutional integrity.

He, therefore, urged internal auditors to promote integrity in public procurement, prevent and detect corruption and financial leakages, and strengthen fiscal discipline and expenditure control.