Govt services to continue, Ngangan says

FINANCE Secretary Dr Ken Ngangan has instructed all government agencies, private contractors and the public that Government services should continue during the elections.
In a circular, he said, to ensure compliance with directions issued by the Ombudsman Commission for the election period, payments from service improvement programmes (SIP) and other district grants should be for operational costs such as casuals, utilities, stationary and payments for existing contracts.
“The total expenditure for operational costs from SIP funds must not exceed the prescribed 10 per cent limit for SIP general administration costs,” he said.
“No new contract payments must be entertained.”
Ngangan said provincial and district administration, including provincial and district finance managers, would continue to perform their mandated roles in the administration of PSIP and DSIP funds during the elections.
“The delivery of government services to communities must not be disturbed during the election period,” he said.
The procedure is claims for payments must be sent to the first assistant secretary, provincial and district financial management division (PDFMD), the Department of Finance for presentation to and vetting by a committee comprising the Ombudsman Commission, Department of Finance and Department of Implementation and Rural Development.
“The committee’s decision to clear or reject the SIP claims will be passed back to the respective provincial and district finance officers for action,” Ngangan said.
He said the provincial and district finance managers, provincial administrators and District Development Authorities (DDA) were to ensure that mandatory requirements such as DDA board resolutions, Finance instructions and the Public Finance Management Act were complied with before SIP funds were expended.