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The Commissioner–General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, has called on accountants to prioritise national interest in all their endeavours.
Speaking at the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) 2025 Presidential Luncheon in Accra, he said the financial well-being of the nation was in the hands of accountants, and therefore any mishap by them could have catastrophic consequences for their institutions and the nation at large.
“Be guided by integrity, innovate for the betterment of your institution and enforce compliance mechanisms that build your institutions and help in the development of the country,” he said.
The GRA boss gave an example of how the managers of the country’s treasury and economy, including the Minister of Finance and himself, were accountants, adding, “If we fail, then it is the accountant who has failed the nation.”
Mr Sarpong added that accountants must be the drivers of change to propel the country’s economic transformation, focusing on integrity, innovation and compliance with rules governing the accountancy profession.
The ICAG Presidential Luncheon is an annual event hosted by the President of ICAG, the regulatory body for accountancy practice and education, which brings together members of the institute, business leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders to interact and network.
This year’s event was on the theme: “Tone at the top: Leading with integrity, innovation and compliance.”
The President of ICAG, Augustine Addo, reiterated the regulatory body’s commitment to enforcing ethical standards to ensure that integrity became the hallmark of the accountancy profession.
“To this end, we are working in close partnership with the Ghana Police Service to clamp down on unethical behaviour among accounting practitioners.
Through the dedicated work of our Disciplinary Committee, we are sending a clear message: misconduct has consequences,” he added.
Also, he announced the rollout of key initiatives such as the establishment of an artificial intelligence (AI) committee with a mandate to integrate digital and AI systems in ICAG operations and systems, adding, “our goal is not just to make ICAG future-ready, but future-defining.”
For his part, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), who was the guest speaker, said leaders must set the right tone and lead by example to strengthen institutions and organisations.
He gave an example of how poor leadership triggered the financial sector clean-up that resulted in the collapse of more than 400 financial institutions, including nine universal banks.
“When weak governance, poor risk management, and compromised integrity took root at the top, the entire financial system was shaken.
Thousands of jobs were lost; businesses struggled to recover funds, and the public confidence in the sector was severely tested,” he stated.
