| A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge recently gaveAPNU’s Shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidgethe commitment that while the joint opposition is in the final stages of fine-tuning its plan to improve accountability and transparency, included in that regiment will be the implementation of all the modules comprising the Integrated Financial Management and Accountability System (IFMAS).Last year,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, this newspaper carried a series of articles showing how liability for assets and monies could be improved if all the modules belonging to the IFMAS system were operable.The foolproof international accounting system uses seven modules, two of which were never implemented by government even though the IFMAS has been in operation for over ten years. The two modules are the Purchasing Module and the Assets Inventory Module.But even after harsh criticisms from the opposition and several accountants indicating that the two modules were not used because it was perhaps, part of government’s scheme to rob the Treasury, the Ministry of Finance maintained that this was not the case.Finance Minister,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, Dr. Ashni Singh had said that while the entire $132M IFMAS package was not being used, the functions of the two unused modules were incorporated in the others and as such there was no loophole for unaccountability to occur.When Guyana got the IFMAS system, it was specially tailored to suit the country’s needs; however Dr. Singh had argued that the two unimplemented modules are for a more mature environment.Senior officers of the Canadian company that designed the IFMAS had even stated that they were not aware of any case where a government bought the system and did not use all of the modules.They had stated too that the Purchasing module is important because it allows you to automate everything. They said that if, for example, a government wants to buy a computer for a ministry,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, it would have to budget for it. The IFMAS then issues a purchasing order and when you pay for the computer, you collect a receipt and that can be scanned into the IFMAS. So,Discount NFL Jerseys, there is absolutely no need to keep the physical receipt.They had said, too, “The Assets module is very helpful for asset management. It is important because it helps the government to manage the value of state assets. It ensures that you don’t sell something for less than it is worth and it also helps governments to manage the assets to ensure the country is not being robbed.”The Canadian firm stressed as well that the modules provide better control over what was spent,cheap nfl jerseys, how it was spent, who is assigned to, the asset acquired and what has become of its value and stressed that all the modules are important and should be implemented.Though Dr. Singh had opined that Guyana is not mature enough for the two modules, the country’s Auditor General Deodat Sharma continues to recommend that they be implemented.Greenidge who served as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) during the Tenth Parliament articulated that the two modules are part and parcel of the system of ensuring that accountability and transparency at the highest level is achieved.He said,Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic, too, that the APNU+AFC is committed to ensuring that the modules are in place as part of restoring the electorate’s faith in the country’s systems of checks and balances.“These two modules will form part of our menu of things to be done to close up a number of the loopholes in the system which encouraged corrupt acts. This is not the time to make excuses and deceive the nation any longer about what is really in place to protect their monies.I wish to reiterate this other point, it is very important that the electorate is reminded of the fact that the People’s Progressive Party regime during its time in office has in several cases embarked on a series of extensive fraud hidden by a careful and cynical set of actions. The non-implementation of the two IFMAS modules were part of that scheme and we will bring that to an end under an APNU+AFC government,” Greenidge expressed. |
