Advantages of public Accountability

Here provide you with the reasons why is accountability important in public sector and you ae will be able to also:

Accountability forms the cornerstone of public service.Its importance is as follows: 1. Ethical compliance: It ensures that requisite ethical standards are followed. 2. Optimum Utilization of resources: It ensures that resources are optimally utilized – greater good for greatest number – utilitarian principle is followed 3. Transparency: Accountability helps in showcasing the transparency of the actions of the individual/organisation for the public. How accountability can be fixed in public service? 4.Checks and balances: Procedures to be followed should have appropriate checks and balances to ensure that there is accountability. Timely and rigorous audit can help in achieving it. 5. Reducing discretion System should be made more objective by minimizing the discretionary power of individuals. 6.Rewarding ethical and punishing unethical Ethical public servants should be rewarded while non- ethical ones should be penalized. As the quote ” Justice should not only be done, it should be seen to be done”. Accountability becomes the vehicle by which the public service can earn and retrieve the faith of the public in it. The Concept of Financial Control Another means of ensuring proper accountability is through proper control of resources, that is the control of both public revenues and expenditures. The performance indicators that will be required in the control process include income, expenditure, commitments, and budgets. Revenues Control generally involves the process of ensuring that all revenues of Government that are generated in any form are paid into the main account of the Government, i.e. the Consolidated Fund. The various revenue collection agencies of the Government are directed to ensure that revenues generated are logged in to specific accounts for onward transfer into the Government accounts with the Bank of Ghana. Benefits of Financial Control • It gives a clear indication of responsibilities. • It reflects the current position of an organization. • It presents information that can be easily assimilated and understood. • It allows comparability of budgets with income and expenditure.