AGF Reinstates Commitment To Reforms In Public Financial Management

Mr. Ahmed Idris, The Accountant General of the Federation, has restated his commitment to continue with already instituted reforms aimed at improving public financial management in the Treasury Office.

He gave this assurance yesterday, 6th January, when he met with the team of Budget Support Mission from the World Bank at the Treasury House in Abuja, to discuss how to ensure the effective implementation of the 2016 Budget of the Federal Government.

While recalling the various technical and financial support the Country had received from the World Bank over the years, the Accountant General of the Federation described the World Bank as a great partner whose role in promoting sound economic and fiscal policies in Nigeria and indeed the world remains unparalleled.

According to Idris, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation being on the driving seat for the implementation of the reforms in the public financial management has made tremendous progress in their implementation.

Citing the transition from IPSAS Cash Basis to IPSAS Accrual Basis from January 2016, Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) which includes central personal cost monitoring has led to reduced cost of personnel; Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, (GIFMIS) which is a platform for e-payment and e-Collection as well as the full scale Treasury Single Account Implementation as among the success stories of the Nigeria’s Treasury.

Idris further said that the reforms are necessary so as to bring the country at par with acceptable global best practices.

He however, noted with concern the challenges being faced with their implementation, especially with regards to infrastructural and technical capacity and expressed optimism that the World Bank will provide the needed support to surmounting them, whilst pledging the readiness of the Treasury Office to take the relationship to the next level.

Earlier at the meeting, the leader of the delegation, Ismaila Ceesay, who is the Lead Financial Management Specialist at the World Bank Country office in Abuja,  said they were at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to review Budget performance for the previous year and to provide technical support on the implementation of the proposed 2016 budget of the  OAGF.

Mr. Ceesay observed that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation is critical in meeting with the criteria required in receiving the Budget support from the World Bank given that it anchors the implementation of critical reform policies geared toward  efficient and transparent management of the public funds in the country.  He pledged further collaboration towards meeting the planned proposal of Budget Support from the World Bank. [OAGF/FMI]