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For the first time since it was acquired over five years ago, the Federal Government will be using the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System for the preparation of the 2018 budget.
The Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Akabueze, confirmed this on Monday in Abuja at a workshop for budget officers in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
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.
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.
Speaking at the workshop, Akabueze explained that 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.
He said the adoption of the GIFMIS for budget preparation would enhance seamless linkage between preparation, submission, execution, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
Akabueze added that the objective of the training was to equip budget officers in the MDAs with the knowledge, skills and tools they required to prepare and submit the 2018 budget on time.
He said, “The 2018 budget preparation process has since commenced. The main goal of this training is to equip the nominated personnel with the knowledge, skills and tools they require to prepare and submit the 2018 budget on time.
“We shall be training over 4,250 participants involved in budget preparations from over 800 Federal Government MDAs across the country.”
He added, “In the last five years, the MDAs have been using the GIFMIS for budget execution. However, this will be the first time that MDAs will be using the GIFMIS to carry out both budget preparation and budget execution.
“This, we believe, will help enhance the smooth and seamless linkage between budget preparation, submission, execution, monitoring, evaluation and reporting compared to when to the budget was prepared outside the GIFMIS and then imported into the GIFMIS for execution.”
The DG stated that the Federal Government was committed to having a predictable budget year that would run from January to December every year as prescribed in the Constitution
To achieve this, Akabueze said the 2018 budget proposal must be submitted by the Executive to the National Assembly by the first week of October in order to ensure its passage before the end of this year.
The Director, Expenditure, Budget Office of the Federation, Suleiman Hassan, said the GIFMIS platform would help to drive transparency in the preparation of annual budgets.
