Story by Claudia Tally of Post-Courier:
The change from PNG Government Accounting System (PGAS) to the Integrated Financial Management System in 2018 has affected the tracking of funds over the last five years.
According to National Economic and Fiscal Commission Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Kennedy Painap, the annual provincial expenditure review assessment has been delayed because of this transition as analysts are tracking funding from the old system to the new system.
“We do assessment called provincial expenditure review, now that the review is not up to date because there was a change in the government accounting system from PGAS to IFMS.
“We need that report, we need to see finance secretary and ask for that information.
“We have all the information. My staff are looking through, trying to understand the funding on PGAS and continue with IFMS.
“They have made some progress, but we need to clean up the report and then launch it. That is going back to 2018 to last year 2023” stated Mr Painap.
National Economic and Fiscal Commission is an independent Constitutional advisory body to the state.
It was established under the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments (OLGPLLG) and is mandated to carry out assessment and provide recommendations on province’s economic and fiscal capacities.
The provincial expenditure review carried out by NEFC assess provinces’ funding and maintenance of the main priority areas which are health, education, agriculture, transport and infrastructure and village courts.
The National Economic and Fiscal Commission is working towards launching the updated expenditure review in June this year.