Minister urges task force to fully implement GIFMIS

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed on Tuesday inaugurated an inter-ministerial task force to fully implement the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

At the event in Abuja, the minister said GIFMIS was developed to enhance the effectiveness of government financial activities.

Ahmed said the overall objective of the government is to implement a computerised financial management information system which is efficient, effective and increases its ability to undertake central control and monitoring of expenditure and receipts in the MDAS as well as Increase the ability to access information on financial and operational performance.

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“It also aims at increasing internal controls to prevent and detect potential and actual fraud, access to information on Government’s cash position and improves medium-term planning through Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF),” she explained.

According to her the concerns with regards to Military and the Intelligence Agencies covert operational expenses and other non-regular allowances for personnel and officers which are mainly cash-based.

She charged the task force to look into the concerns raised with regard to full GIFMIS implementation with the sole aim of addressing them fo ensure successful implementation of the system.

In his remarks, Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris said GIFMIS serves as an integral item in Pillar 3 of National Asset in public service.

“The GIFMIS kicked off since 2012 with 93 pilot MDAs and we have over 800 MDAs at all levels who are using it for budget implementation. Today, 105 MDAs deploy all functionalities of GIFMIS effectively.

“The ministerial task force will see to the implementation of the programme in the armed forces and other security forces of the paramilitary,” he said.

The committee was given three weeks to submit its report.