By: Fatou Krubally
The National Assembly, in its Third Ordinary Session for the 2025 legislative year, has highlighted the urgent need for stronger oversight mechanisms on public finances following the Finance and Public Accounts Committee’s (FPAC) two-week study tour to Ghana.
The tour, held from 16th to 29th July 2025, aimed to build the capacity of Members to perform robust, credible, and independent scrutiny of government accounts and expenditures.
During the sitting on Thursday, 11th September 2025, the FPAC report was formally laid before the House by its Chairperson, Hon. Alhagie S. Darboe. The report underscored several key lessons from Ghana, including the importance of distinguishing development expenditures from consumption spending, the adoption of rigorous public investment appraisal methods, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in parliamentary oversight.
The report recommended a major structural reform of FPAC, proposing that it be split into two committees: a Finance Committee, chaired by a ruling party member to review spending proposals before implementation, and a Public Accounts Committee, chaired by the opposition to scrutinize audited government accounts post-expenditure.
Hon. Lamin Ceesay of Kiang West praised the training and called for the National Assembly to fund FPAC’s capacity-building programs independently, noting the importance of financial literacy for committee members in holding institutions accountable. “If you are there to scrutinize government audited accounts, you must understand finance and accountability,” he said.
Several members emphasized the need for establishing an independent Office of the Special Prosecutor to ensure enforcement of parliamentary resolutions, a point repeatedly highlighted in the Ghana study tour. Hon. member of Niamina Dankunku Samba Jallow described the move as vital, explaining that oversight without enforcement is ineffective. “If our resolutions are not binding and there is no office to enforce them, we have a problem as a nation,” he said.
Other recommendations noted in the report include embedding risk management in the Public Financial Management Act, creating a Project Appraisal Unit within the Ministry of Finance, and institutionalizing continuous training in AI, ethics, and professional governance practices. Members stressed that AI could fast-track financial scrutiny, while ethical leadership would strengthen trust in Parliament’s work.
The House moved, seconded, and unanimously approved the FPAC report. Lawmakers called for swift amendments to Standing Orders to implement the committee restructuring and emphasized collaboration with the Executive and financial institutions to improve public financial management.
The study tour to Ghana, members agreed, was more than an academic exercise; it was a blueprint for transforming parliamentary oversight to meet the demands of a modern democracy and safeguard public resources.