Public officials must treat state resources as sacred trusts rather than personal property, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has warned.
Addressing regional ministers alongside metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs) during a stakeholder engagement on the Auditor-General’s Report, Dr Ato Forson underscored that state coffers are sustained by citizens rather than those in power.
“Public money does not belong to government officials; we are only the custodians of those resources,” he stated, emphasizing that the citizenry remains the ultimate owner of the nation’s wealth.
The Finance Minister called for aggressive measures to retrieve all misappropriated state funds, insisting that transparency must govern every pesewa allocated to public administration.
“Let us recover every cedi that is recoverable. Let us account for every cedi that is entrusted to us as public officials,” he urged the gathering.
Beyond asset recovery, Dr Ato Forson noted that the ultimate goal must be the fortification of institutional frameworks to prevent financial leakages in the first place, shifting away from reactive measures.
“Let us build systems where recovery becomes the exception, not an annual ritual,” he added.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
