Resolve to modernize and internationalize public finances

Regional and Divisional officials of the Finance Control Service, Municipal Treasurers and Finance Agents drawn from all the nooks and crannies of the North West Region have been told to drift from routine actions to productive activities. This is in line with Phase 2 of the Public Finance Reforms which, inter alia, include making sure that Finance Clerks are given a respectable and stable status and the inclusion of Municipal Finance Controllers in Regional Coordination Meetings.

This was the focus of a two-day Coordination Meeting/Capacity Building Seminar that held in Kumbo, Divisional Headquarters of Bui on May 26 and 27.

“The Region is positioning itself in that great march towards the modernization and internationalization of our public finances to meet the unavoidable norms of efficiency and comparability with global trends,” declared Wirndzerem Gideon Barfee, North West Regional Controller of Finance. He said the execution of the budget highlights a harmonious marriage between performance, regularity and compliance to set standards and rules, adding that the role of finance controllers in such a context will be a blend of control and counsel.

   It was agreed that authorizing officers who include a wide range of persons must inevitably develop the culture of reporting and rendering accounts in collaboration with their stores accountants.

The Coordination Meeting/Seminar which included technical workshops inevitably equipped Finance Clerks with knowledge and techniques that will enable them track budgetary information thereby assisting authorizing officers in their respective areas of competences in executing their budgets harmoniously. The seminar equally optimized the exchanges between the finance control authorities and Municipal controllers in order to ensure that the latter,s role as the police of budgetary regularity is fully played.  Finally, the seminar reinforced technical and administrative awareness of Divisional Controllers in their new role as Sub-Divisional finance controllers.