Internal audit and good governance in the public sector in Kumasi

Abstract

Well performing internal audit function has been argued as one of the strongest means of internal control to monitor and promote good governance system in an organization. While internal audit can be used in order to assist management in order to instill a strong ethical tone in the entire organization, a poor attitude by the management can make it hard for the internal auditor to uphold ethical behaviour. As a result, many countries have increased attention on internal audit as an important component of government financial management and as a tool for improving the performance of the government sector. The objective of this study was to establish the effectiveness of internal audit in promoting good governance in the public sector in Ghana with special focus on the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). The research was both quantitative and qualitative in nature with both descriptive cross-sectional design method and regression analysis preferred for the study. The study also uses logistic estimation technique on the primary data collected to find out the association between corporate governance and internal systems of risk management, compliance and consultancy and internal controls. The research established that internal audit significantly affects internal controls, risk management and compliance and consultancy. However, internal control and compliance and consultancy are less likely to ensure good corporate governance. The study therefore recommend that the government should recognize the contribution of internal auditing and embrace it as an effective tool so as to realize their objectives set.