Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) which generate internal revenue must conduct their financial transactions through the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) or be refused funding support from the consolidated funds, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) has cautioned.
According to Eugene Asante Ofosuhene, Controller and Accountant General, budgeted funds for MDAs and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies(MMDAs) who disregard the directive would not be released.
Staffs of such institutions which refuse to operate on the GIFMIS, he said, also stand the risk of possible non-payment of the salaries.
The caution follows a meeting with Financial Controllers, Heads of Accounts, Treasury Officers and Chief Accountants of MDAs, MMDAs and other state agencies at the Treasury Head Office in Accra yesterday.
Mr Ofosuhene explained that the decision by the Department was due to persistent and deliberate refusal by certain institutions and agencies to use the GIFMIS which was governed by the Public Financial Management Act (PFM ACT 921) of 2016.
In this regard, he said it was an offence for such institutions to fail to operate on GIfMIS for all financial transactions.
To enable the full implementation of the system, Mr Ofosuhene urged the officers in charge of GIFMIS across the country to work on challenges faced by accountants in operating the system.
Some of the financial officers and accountants complained of slow or non-existence of network connectivity which makes it difficult to employ the GIFMIS for their transactions.
Others said the training given them from officials of the GIFMIS Secretariat for the operation of GIFMIS was not adequate.
GIFMIS is an integrated computerised financial management platform which facilitates budget preparation and execution, accounting and financial reporting, cash management, assets and payroll management aimed at transparency and improvement in the effectiveness of service delivery and the allocation of scarce resources using new tools, processes and best practices.
The Public Financial Management Act 921 was passed to ensure the safety, custody and integrity of Public Funds in the new global trends in accounting which promotes discipline, effective and efficient use of public funds.
Since its implementation began in 2012, GIFMIS have been deployed in all 216 MMDAs.
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