The Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya North in the Ashanti Region, Hon. Frank Yeboah, has joined legislators and financial oversight experts from across West Africa in Abuja, Nigeria, for the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC). The week-long high-level gathering, which runs from September 8 to 13, 2025, is centered on the theme: “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of Public Debt: The Role of Finance and Public Accounts Committees.”
The conference comes at a time when West African nations are grappling with mounting debt levels, fiscal constraints, and calls for improved transparency in the management of public finances. It seeks to provide lawmakers with practical strategies to enhance oversight, ensure responsible borrowing, and safeguard economic development.
In his address ahead of the event, Hon. Yeboah highlighted the urgency of addressing the rising debt burden in the sub-region and reaffirmed the duty of parliamentarians to ensure that all loans and public expenditures are transparent and development-oriented. “Public debt remains one of the biggest challenges for our region, and as representatives of our people, it is our duty to ensure that borrowing is responsible, transparent, and directed toward the true development needs of our countries,” Hon. Yeboah said.
The Atwima Nwabiagya North lawmaker, who serves as a member of Ghana’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), stressed that conferences like WAAPAC’s General Assembly are crucial platforms for peer learning, experience sharing, and the exchange of best practices on fiscal accountability. “The lessons and best practices we share here will go a long way in strengthening our work back home — ensuring that every cedi borrowed and spent is accounted for in the interest of the Ghanaian people,” he emphasized.
The five-day assembly will feature keynote speeches from regional leaders, expert-led panel discussions, technical workshops, and strategy sessions designed to build the institutional capacity of parliaments in financial oversight. Participants will examine innovative approaches to managing national debts, improving audit systems, and enhancing transparency in public resource management.
WAAPAC, a respected sub-regional platform, was established to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance through enhanced collaboration among Public Accounts Committees in West Africa. The association has been instrumental in fostering reforms to strengthen the auditing and oversight processes that safeguard public funds.
Hon. Yeboah’s participation underscores Ghana’s commitment to reinforcing fiscal discipline and ensuring that borrowing aligns with sustainable development priorities. With Ghana currently implementing measures to stabilize its economy and manage public debt, the MP’s role in the assembly is seen as an opportunity to bring home actionable strategies that can further strengthen parliamentary oversight.
He expressed optimism that the conference would deliver transformative recommendations for parliaments across the sub-region: “I look forward to the conversations, collaborations, and innovative ideas that will emerge this week — all in the spirit of accountability and good governance,” he said.
The 11th WAAPAC Conference has attracted delegates from across all 15 ECOWAS member states, international development partners, and fiscal governance experts. It is expected to conclude with a set of resolutions aimed at improving debt management policies, strengthening legislative oversight, and promoting sustainable economic growth across West Africa.
