GIFMIS supports MDAs with computers

Mr Seth Terkper, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, has noted that it is important to develop and operate a sound budget and accounting system if Ghana is to reach the middle income status it desires.

He said this would help harmonise and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of revenue collection for the Government.

“It would also promote efficiency, transparency, and accountability in public financial management, through rationalisation and modernisation of budgeting and public expenditure management of the Government.”

"This would create a uniform chart of accounts which would make the comparison of the performance of various budgets very easy," he added.

Mr Terkper made the observation when he presented computers and accessories worth $1.3 million to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, on behalf of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) Project, in Accra on Tuesday.

The equipment includes 587 desktops and accessories, 428 printers and 68 laptops; to provide a state-of-the-art financial system for all MDAs.

This he said would serve as the official system of record, to meet the Government's financial accounting and reporting, disbursement, internal control and auditing requirement.

He noted that the computers would be using software that would provide a uniform platform in accounting and reporting, which would improve accountability, control, monitoring, and auditing of governmental finances.

Mr Terkper said, most MDAs lacked good accounting systems, saying that, over the years, they had been operating on different accounting systems while others operated without support from any system; whilst others continued to operate on manual records.

“As government institutions, we need to ensure that government funds are accounted for properly. It is our responsibility to ensure that the computers are used judiciously, in order to make Ghana proud financially.”

Mr Thomas Akabzaa, Chief Director, Ministry of Energy, who received the items on behalf of the MDAs expressed gratitude to GIFMIS for the computers, saying that, “it was a step in the right direction and would make their working environment workable.”

He assured that, the computers would be used for the intended purpose to help the development and management of finance in the country, and urged the MDAs to prolong its lifespan.

“The computer is a tool and whatever goes in, is very important, and so we must make sure that all who are responsible for entering data, put in the right inputs in order to have an improved budgetary, financial management and reporting system.”

GIFMIS is an integrated financial management information system with objective to produce an entity-wide state-of-the-art budget and financial system, that would serve as the official system of record to meet Government's budget, financial accounting and reporting, disbursement, internal control and auditing requirements.

It is to promote timely dissemination of information for financial management, rationalise the financial administrative degree and regulation, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of revenue collection of Government and minimise payment and commitment controls.**