Finance system timely: Harry

THE Integrated Finance Management System (IFMS) is more efficient and makes the paying out job easier for the Department of National Planning, secretary Hakaua Harry says.
Harry told The National that IFMS was good as it helped the department in terms of processing expenditure.
“We have our accounting system that utilises the IFMS system so when we have our warrant, it’s entered into this system and the cheques are printed utilising the system,” she said.
“In terms of reporting on our funds, we can easily print the report from the system so every expense we make, the system picks up the report.”
Harry said, the departments of National Planning, Treasury and Finance were using the system.
“We are working closely with Finance to make sure that every government department utilises it so we need to continuously fund the rollout.
“The collaboration between the three agencies has been strengthened further and we are able to talk to each other through the system.
“It’s been almost five years that we have been using the IFMS system and we are slowly phasing out PGAS.
“When we want to know what’s happening in terms of expenditure, we can go into the system, click a button – it tells us where things are and who authorises certain payments.
“For National Planning, when we look at expenditure and national budget and the capital investment budget, there’s a business process where if all the government agencies are hooked onto the system, we will be able to access that,” Harry said.
She said project proposal was one area that this system had helped to make easier for the department.