The Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has rejected the Constitution Review Committee’s (CRC) recommendation to make the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) independent of the Ministry of Finance. 

CLOGSAG maintains that the CAGD, which currently operates as an implementing agency of the Ministry of Finance, should remain under the Ministry’s administrative control rather than be converted into an independent constitutional body.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on 4 March, CLOGSAG’s Executive Secretary, Mr Bampoe Addo, argued that the proposal could create institutional confusion and weaken fiscal coordination.

“We disagree with the proposals to establish the Controller and Accountant-General as an independent or hybrid independent constitutional office. The mandate of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department falls squarely within the functional oversight responsibilities of the Ministry of Finance. The CAGD operates as an implementation agency of the Ministry in executing government accounting, ensuring payment control and performing treasury management functions,” he stated.

He further emphasised that, as part of the Executive responsible for implementing fiscal policy, the CAGD should remain administratively situated within the Ministry of Finance.

“Elevating the Department to independent status could create institutional confusion, weaken fiscal coordination, introduce bureaucratic duplication and compromise efficient financial administration,” he cautioned.

Mr Bampoe Addo also opposed the CRC’s proposal for the Council of State to recruit, vet and make binding nominations to the President for the appointment of the Controller and Accountant-General.

“We object to the proposal for the Council of State to recruit, vet and make binding nominations to the President. This is at variance with our firm principle of leaving departmental appointments to governing councils, which possess the institutional memory to select, vet and appoint an appropriate head on merit,” he explained.

On parliamentary oversight, he welcomed the proposal for Parliament to exercise oversight through its relevant committees in accordance with the law. However, he insisted that the Ministry of Finance should remain the legitimate body to exercise ministerial oversight over the CAGD. CLOGSAG also rejected a similar proposal involving the Council of State in the appointment of the Head of the Civil Service.

“We object to the CRC proposal that the Council of State shall recruit, vet and make binding nominations to the President for the appointment of the Head of the Civil Service with the assistance of the Public Services Commission,” he said.

Instead, Mr Bampoe Addo recommended aligning the appointment process with existing constitutional provisions.

“We recommend removing the special appointment arrangement under Article 193(1), which requires the President to appoint the Head of the Civil Service acting specifically on the advice of the Public Services Commission, and align this appointment with the general framework under Article 195 governing public service appointments,” he stated.

He cited Article 195(1) of the Constitution, which provides that, subject to the Constitution, the power to appoint persons to hold or act in an office in the Public Services vests in the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the governing council of the service concerned, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission.

To enhance professionalism and meritocracy in public service appointments, Mr Bampoe Addo proposed an amendment to Article 195 to ensure that appointments are made based on binding nominations from the relevant governing council in consultation with the Public Services Commission.