UPNG Morobe students get K1m for tuition fees

The first cheque for a K1 million Gerson-Solulu scholarship assistance for Morobe students at the University of PNG was printed out when the province rolled out its IFMS accounting system.
Integrated financial management system (IFMS) was launched on Friday by Governor Ginson Saonu, with the first cheque printed, indicating the launch of the system in the province.
The K1,193,328.75 cheque for school fees will help students from the province studying at UPNG under the provincial government’s Gerson-Solulu academic scholarship programme. The province was the first among six identified by the Finance Department for piloting the system. IFM manager and system application specialist Dellah Toanare Soagili said they had rolled out the system starting at the Finance Department.
The launching was after two weeks of training of provincial administration officials by the department team on executing approved budgets, and hands on about executing budgets and making commitments.
“The system is new. It is a multi-dimensional database that we used before. As long as we have proper connectivity for proper infrastructure, it can raise claims anywhere and pick it up. Everybody plays a vital role to its security and it’s not only one man’s job,” Soagili said.
“There’s a lot of transparency to it, and it makes sure when you log in you can see how much is there; how much was committed and how much is available. It’s a real time-based system.”
Soagili said they had trialled out the system in East New Britain, then Morobe, East Sepik, Central, Northern and New Ireland.
The system application specialist said Morobe was first province for its budget to be given out this year so they were able to print the first cheque for the province.
Governor Saonu said the system of handling public money by politicians for services delivery and development must be smart.
“So politicians and public servants will handle people’s money responsibly,” Soagili said.
“We have had many financial systems since independence, some were appreciated while others not. We do see effective usage of that public money. This system will be effective for us to use.”