The Auditor General, Mr. Daniel Yao Domelevo, has indicated that on issues of corruption and fraud, preventive measures are better than corrective measures.
He made this statement when he addressed vendors and suppliers at the maiden MTN Ethics & Fraud Awareness Workshop held in Accra.
Mr. Domelevo, who was the first among a number of speakers that addressed participants at the workshop, also outlined some key measures to prevent fraud. A few of the measures include: being forthright with rules on fraud; implementing rules – lack of which has become the bane of the country; regular procurement audits; continuous training for staff; and putting in place viable mechanisms for whistle-blowing.
He also called on the private sector to support the public sector in enhancing its operations.
He said: “The private sector is mostly referred to as the engine for economic growth, but we should remember the engine cannot operate without fuel. The public sector is therefore the fuel which propels the engine to work. I therefore call on MTN to dialogue with the public sector to design solutions that will help curb fraud and reduce corruption.”
General Manager for MTN Business Risk Management, Didier Sala-Diakanda said: “From its inception, MTN has taken the issue of ethics very seriously and over the years we have put in a lot of measures to ensure that Integrity is upheld in the business among all staff and at all levels.
“We have therefore put in place the required policies, guidelines and committees, and staff have constantly been informed and educated on these policies. This year, we have decided to extend the education to you, our valued suppliers. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango; and even as we work hard to enforce our policies internally, we need to also work with you, our external partners, to ensure the process is fully completed.”
Mr. Joseph Dogbe-Snr. Manager IT Audit, and Mr. Patrick Afari-Snr. Manager Procurement, took turns to educate participants on MTN’s Ethics and Fraud management procedures and Procurement Processes respectively. Mr. Stanley Anum from PwC took participants through the Red Flags of Procurement Fraud. Participants were also taken through the process of annually pledging their commitment to abide by the Ethics and Policies of MTN to guarantee continuous business with MTN.
The MTN Ethics and Fraud Awareness Workshop has been instituted as an annual event to continually sensitise vendors and suppliers on the Ethics, Code of Conduct, and to heighten their awareness of fraud. The workshop is a practical and effective initiative to equip vendors and suppliers in building a frontline defence system against fraud.
MTN operates with 5 corporate values, namely: Leadership, Innovation, Relationship, Integrity and Can-do.
