Funding now ‘harder’ to abuse

By PISAI GUMAR
THE new integrated financial management system will safeguard district and local level government administration from political manipulation to divert funds out of annual budget, an official says.
Bulolo chief executive Tae Gwambelek said the past accounting system was open to abuse, with allowed funding to be diverted by district development authority resolutions.
“We’ve compromised too much from DDA resolutions” he said.
He said the new system (IFMS) would reduce unnecessary expenses on travel and accommodation for officers in remote districts and LLGs.
He warned that initially there would be “complications” between the administration and MPs but these would sort themselves out.
“With IFMS, it is the budget that counts and not the resolution,” he said.
“So MPs need to work with the administration to frame the budget that will be locked into IFMS.”
Gwambelek said the K10 million District Service Improvement Programme fund was allocated to infrastructure (30 per cent), health and education (20 per cent each), law-justice, economic and administration (10 per cent).
“The breakup of DSIP will be locked into IFMS. Likewise district support grants, MPs’ discretional funds and LLG presidents’ unconditional grants. Once the funds are locked into activities, it is hard to divert,” Gwambelek said.