L-r: Minister of National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun
The Director-General of Budget Office of the Federation, domiciled in the Ministry of National Planning, Mr. Ben Akabueze, has revealed that the inability of the federal government to train officials on the use of Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) since five year ago it was acquired forced the ministry to continue analogue budgetary system even in 2017.
But speaking in Abuja at a workshop for budget officers in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Akabueze said training for relevant budget staff have begone and that will help in the use of the system for the preparation of the 2018 budget.
Technology experts say, the GIFMIS is an information technology-based system for budget management and accounting that is being implemented by the Federal Government to improve public expenditure management processes, enhance greater accountability and transparency across the MDAs.
Besides, it is designed to make use of modern information and communication technologies to help the government to plan and use its financial resources more efficiently and effectively.
According to Akabueze, over 4,250 government officials involved in budget preparation from about 800 MDAs across the country would be trained in how to use the automated GIFMIS platform for the 2018 budget preparation.
Continuing, he said the adoption of the GIFMIS for budget preparation would enhance seamless linkage between preparation, submission, execution, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
