The National Treasury has stepped up efforts to enhance the adoption of its online public finance management system by training users in both national and county governments.
The Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), which was developed to automate and streamline government financial management processes and procedures, has been rolled out to all public offices, including ministries, departments, agencies and counties.
In a release sent to newsrooms, the IFMIS Academy, based at the Kenya School of Government, has trained more than 5,000 users both at the national and county levels.
IFMIS director Jerome Ochieng said the IFMIS Academy was created to ensure users are well equipped with skills needed to use the online platform. He added that training will continue until all users are brought up to speed.
“Continuous sensitisation and training within the counties has seen users embrace the change from the manual system of operation to the automatic system. IFMIS encompasses several modules that cover financial processes,” he said.
Ochieng said budget officers, the accountant-general and auditor-general have access to financial transactions and reports from the integrated system, which increases transparency. The system will enable expenditure control and follow-up of the national and county governments’ transactions.
In addressing public procurement, the integrated system provides the item master that ensures market survey for common user items and prices them for use in procurement planning and requisition. This standardises the utilisation of items within all ministries, departments and agencies in the government as well as counties.
One of the notable functionalities is the iSupplier portal, which will allow suppliers to check on the status of their purchase or service orders issued and payments.
“The system will address serious financial enforcements and provide a great opportunity to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public finance,” he said.