Post a comment The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) convened key stakeholders from Local Councils at the Parliamentary Conference Room, New Administrative Building, to discuss resolutions arising from the Auditor General’s Report for 2023. The meeting forms part of the PAC’s oversight activities concerning fiscal management at the local government level.
PAC Chairman, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, who also serves as Deputy Speaker of Parliament, highlighted that the Committee’s oversight revealed several challenges in fiscal management. However, he noted that over $2 million in financial irregularities were recovered in relation to the 2023 Auditor General’s Report. According to Hon. Conteh, 80% of audit issues were successfully resolved, with recovered funds primarily stemming from withholding taxes and other statutory deductions.
The Chairman also raised concerns about persistent problems with the PETRA financial management system, widely used by Local Councils. He noted that the service provider managing the system is currently abroad, creating hurdles for councils in revenue projection and mobilisation. Hon. Conteh emphasized that only two councils exceeded their projected own-source revenue, and he issued a stern warning that future non-performance could lead to non-allocation of government resources.
Another concern highlighted was the frequent transfer of council staff, which, he said, undermines effective operations. Stakeholders were encouraged to openly discuss the issues and propose workable solutions.
In response to the challenges, PAC resolved to engage relevant authorities including the PFMRD, Ministry of Finance, Chief Administrators, Finance Officers, Chairpersons, and Mayors on the rollout and efficiency of the PETRA system. Councils were also advised to improve revenue mobilisation by preparing detailed presentations showing projected and actual performance for all revenue streams, and to provide clear breakdowns of central government and donor funds received.
To ensure staff stability, PAC emphasized that council personnel should remain in their assigned posts until all audit queries are fully addressed. Councils were further instructed to compile comprehensive lists of outstanding taxpayer arrears, referencing PAC communications when summoning defaulters. Taxpayers were warned that failure to settle dues could result in garnishing of bank accounts in line with Sections 8 and 9 of the Finance Act 2022.
Director Lydia Kargbo of the Public Financial Management Reforms Division (PFMRD) confirmed that 19 councils currently use the PETRA system, outlining its functions and associated challenges. Deputy Auditor General Morie Lansana highlighted frequent server downtime as a persistent issue, while Hon. Aaron Aruna Koroma, Deputy Leader of Opposition 2, noted the system’s ineffectiveness and the role of poor IT infrastructure in complicating operations.
A new PFM Smart System is expected to be introduced in 2026 to address PETRA’s shortcomings. PAC will collaborate with the Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery Project and PFMRD to ensure equipment readiness for the rollout.
The meeting also extensively discussed challenges related to own-source revenue and payment arrears. It was unanimously agreed that a follow-up engagement will be held to resolve outstanding issues ahead of the 2026 fiscal year.
