Upgrade Ifmis to end woes, county bosses tell Treasury
Governors want the National Treasury to upgrade the Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis) to resolve technological issues that continue to hinder counties’ absorption of funds.
Treasury officials have also been criticised for alleged interference with the system, with senators commencing investigations into the claims. The move comes after Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo petitioned the Senate to establish the veracity of reports of Ifmis being hacked.
Council of Governors (CoG) Chairperson Anne Waiguru said anomalies experienced in the system have affected timely service delivery in the counties.
She pointed out that county governments face challenges when requesting funds as well as incurring expenditures due to system delays and sometimes complete failure.
The Kirinyaga governor asked Treasury to enhance the capacity of its staff to improve their services to the counties.
“The system is as good as the personnel using it and therefore continuous training of finance staff remains critical in the civil service,” said Ms Waiguru.
The development comes on the backdrop of claims by senators that the Ifmis system has been grossly interfered with, impairing financial transactions by both counties and state agencies. The lawmakers alleged that the system has been infiltrated by hackers, putting at risk billions of shillings.
All entities are required to upload their transactions into the system that is solely controlled from Treasury. However, various entities, especially county governments, have complained of long downtimes and mysterious postings on the system, among other challenges.
Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago placed Treasury staff at the centre of the system’s interference, saying it is something that has been happening for a while.
“Ifmis has been used to deny counties funds by making sure that periodically and when it is convenient, it is not working,” said Mr Mandago.
He said that Treasury officials have unlimited access to Ifmis data, including in the e-procurement module, where they can look at prices before tenders are opened.
“Late payments have been made in Ifmis without any services for goods being rendered because of the interference and the absolute access to Ifmis by the officers in Treasury,” he said.
Mr Mandago rooted for a forensic audit of the system and the payments that have been made, particularly in the run-up to the General Election.
“There is a need for the committee that is going to investigate this matter to make sure that they get deeper into this matter,” he said.
Ms Dullo wants the inquiry to look into the measures being taken by the national government to protect county governments from hacking while using Ifmis. BY DAILY NATION
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