The Department has successful hosted the Momase and Highlands Regional Financial Management workshop on November 6-7 at the Lae International Hotel.
The workshop themed ”Driving Financial Reforms for Better Service Delivery at the Sub-National Level” aims to get collective ideas and feedback to drive reform in public service delivery and keeping everyone informed on the financial reforms that the Department is going through.
Secretary Dr Ken Ngangan who was there at the workshop opening said, “The Department has undergone a lot of transformation at the national level and it is timely that we bring you all together to keep everyone informed about these financial reforms”.
‘’One of the biggest reforms that the Department has taken is the rollout of the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS),’’ he said.
‘’The IFMS rollout has a lot of impacts in the way we conduct our work serving the provinces and the districts.
‘’We have completed the rolled at the National Level and now our focused is at the sub-National level.
“You would have noted that the IFMS consolidate a lot of functions that we have played out, meaning one person can do the work of three or four people”.
He assured them that with the new reforms no one will lose their job, but be prepared for the new changes.
The Department has also started the roll out of Public Expenditure Financial Accountability (PEFA) at the Sub-National level. One province from the four regions have been selected to pilot these assessments include New Ireland, East Sepik, Western Highlands and Central provinces.
From this exercise a road map will be designed for the next three years to change and strengthen the PDFM program in the provinces and the districts.
Finance and Rural Development Minister (former) Charles Abel said, the structural rollout of the reforms in various aspects and how we integrate the public service delivery system is to ensure financial accountability and the management of public funds together with the procurement system is properly integrated.
‘’The staff must be trained properly and place at the various positions and must be service delivery oriented,’’ he said.
