Question Tag: FAR 2004

The controls provided by the FAR under the specified areas are as follows:

i) Signing a blank document:
Under Regulation 199(1) of the FAR, no officer is allowed to sign any incomplete document or record pertaining to accounts. This control prevents the misuse or fraudulent completion of such documents after they have been signed.

ii) Security of signatures:
Regulation 198 of the FAR states that any officer signing a document or record pertaining to accounts must ensure that the document or record is signed in such a way as to preclude subsequent alteration or addition to the information contained in the document or record. This measure is to secure the integrity of the signature against forgery or unauthorized changes.

iii) Use of indelible ink and prohibition of alterations:
According to Regulation 205(1) of the FAR, accounting records and documents must be written in indelible ink. Additionally, an entry in an accounting record or document must not be erased or altered by overwriting. This control ensures that records remain permanent and tamper-proof.

iv) Amendment of figures:
Regulation 206 of the FAR provides that an incorrect figure in a document may be amended by ruling a single line through it, so the original entry can still be read clearly, and the correct figure is inserted above the original entry. The officer signing or certifying the document must then initial the amended entry. This control ensures that any corrections are transparent and traceable.

v) Fraction of reporting currency (one cedi):
Regulation 208 of the FAR stipulates that for the purpose of keeping public and other government accounts and preparing financial statements, all pesewas must be rounded upwards to the nearest Cedi. This control simplifies the reporting and management of currency in public accounts.