CM attends workshop on Public Financial Management

Guwahati, July 18 (HS):  “The intended beneficiaries of all government schemes would only be served when there is more efficiency in government’s management of public funds to facilitate robust growth of the economy while ensuring the well being of citizens. For that purpose, adoption of Public Financial Management System (PFMS) is must for judicious utilisation of government’s earnings and expenditures.”

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said while speaking at the inaugural session of the workshop on Public Financial Management System (PFMS) organised by National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, North East Regional Centre at Assam Administrative Staff College. Delegates from other North Eastern States and various parts of the country have been taking part in the workshop.

Notably, PFMS is an online system being implemented by the Controller General of Accounts for fund management and online payments to implementing agencies as well as vendors and beneficiaries and its primary objective is to ensure efficient fund flow and tracking for the schemes of Government of India.

The chief minister said that in today’s age of information and increased public awareness, it was necessary that the leaders should be conscious of functioning of different government wings while strictly monitoring the public spending being done by the public agencies at all levels. PFMS provides inputs for better management of resources and in turn better policy formulation. It aims for timely releases and monitoring of fund utilization till reaching the ultimate beneficiary, he opined.

Expressing hope that this workshop would comes up with ways to fully harness the utility of PFMS for increasing the effectiveness of rural development schemes, Sonowal said that once all the implementing agencies are registered on PFMS and they start using it, it will be easier for the governments to monitor the fund flow and to ensure the real time fund transfers.

Chief Controller of Accounts of Rural Development Ministry Ajay Shankar Singh gave the welcome address the in the programme while Additional Secretary cum Financial Advisor of the Ministry Sanjeev Kumar, Principal Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development Department J.B. Ekka also spoke. Media Adviser to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami and other top officials of different departments were also present.