‘Ifmis still not ready’
The Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis), government’s electronic payment platform, is yet to become fully operational because some ministries have not submitted names of new user rights holders who would be allowed access to the system.
It was discovered that some civil servants took advantage of the weakness of Ifmis to facilitate theft of government resources using ministries and departments as conduits which resulted in its shutdown in October pending review.
A source at the Ministry of Finance told The Nation that although Ifmis was expected to become operational on November 4 2013, cheques and other payments are still being prepared manually.
This is because ministries and government departments have delayed submission of new user rights holders replacing the old ones who used the compromised system.
Ministry of Finance spokesperson Nations Msowoya confirmed that some ministries have not started using Ifmis due to various reasons.
Said Msowoya: “Given the past issues, people are more cautious so they are taking their time to identify user rights. We will keep on pushing them so that they submit names.”
However, teachers will this month breathe a sigh of relief as the Ministry of Education last week wrote the Accountant General submitting their names so that their salaries can be processed electronically and not using the laborious manual process, the ministry’s spokesperson Rebecca Phwitiko said.
In an earlier interview, Msowoya told The Nation users would only be limited to their area of jurisdiction unlike in the past when one user could access several areas in the system such as preparation of vouchers, their vetting and approvals.
“We have also installed a stronger firewall to avoid illegal access to the system as was the case before. The list of users now will have to be approved by the Principal Secretary who will have to take personal responsibility. In addition, there will be monthly reconciliations of the MG Account 1,” he said.
A security officer is also expected to start work by January next year.
