The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament is set to commence its public hearings on Tuesday 25 April to consider financial infractions against the Bank of Ghana, Food and Drugs Authority, and other agencies.

The hearings, expected to begin on Tuesday, will focus on four reports of the Auditor General’s Department.

This was made known by the Chairman of the PAC, James Klutse Avedzi, at the opening of a three-day capacity-building workshop for members of the parliamentary press corps organised by the GIZ in Koforidua.

“I believe strongly that when the committee starts sitting on Tuesday 25th of this month to Friday 28th of this month, that sitting we will be looking at four reports. Bank of Ghana’s forex exchange transaction and receipt and payment for the first half year and second half year of 2015. These two reports will be [discussed] during this public hearing starting from Tuesday. We’ll also look at performance reports on disposal of government vehicles by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Health. And lastly, we will be taking the performance report on drug use in Ghana by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA),” he stated.

Meanwhile, Deputy Ranking Member of the PAC, Nana Marfo Amaniampong, was optimistic the workshop would enhance the capacity of the press corps in the discharge of their duties.

“A lot of people in Ghana got a lot of insight into the work of parliament through the Public Accounts Committee and you are the conduit through which they get these briefings because your reportage in the electronic and print media enable them to keep abreast of the doings of this important committee. So for you to be with us in this place, we are very grateful to you. What we will employ you to do is to really imbibe whatever our consultants are going to tell us so that whatever you give us out there anytime we come for sitting will be nothing but the whole story so that confusions after reportage will be nipped in the bud,” he said.

The Dean of the parliamentary press corps, Nana Birikorang, on his part pleaded with leadership of the committee to make copies of the Auditor General’s reports readily available to the media to enable them report factually.