IPPIS: FG saved N120b in six years – AGF

The Accountant General of the Federation, Jonah Otunla, said the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System had saved the country more than N120 billion in the last six years.
Otunla disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Aji.
The delegation was there on a peer review of activities of the AGF’s office.
The accountant general said the N120 billion was the money saved by paying MDAs staff directly through IPPIS instead of releasing the funds to the MDAs for the payment.
Otunla said: “IPPIS, a public financial management reform programme that streamlines payroll and personnel processes in MDAs, has so far helped to ensure confidence in payroll cost.
“It has also made prompt deductions and remittances to all third party funds such as PFAs, NHIS, NHF and FIRS a reality.
“From April 2007 when the scheme commenced to date, 246 MDAs were enrolled with a total number of 250,000 staff, and over N120 billion cumulatively has been saved.”
Otunla said the scheme had also saved government from paying nonexistent staff in MDAs, adding that application of public funds to non-official purposes had also been reduced.
He said the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, Treasury Single Account and International Public Sector Accounting Standards were also being adopted by Government to ensure accountability.
GIFMIS system, among others functions, traces financial transactions and monitors expenditures and receipts in the MDAs.
TSA has the objective to ensure cash availability for MDAs as at when required and remove delays in budget execution arising from artificial cash shortages.
IPSAS refers to a set of accounting standards that regulate the preparation of financial statements around the world.
Otunla said that to achieve maximum management of public funds, all MDAs should be enrolled fully into the GIFMIS and IPPIS portal by December.
Aji said he was impressed with the level of implementation of public management reforms by the OAGF.
Aji, who was represented by Dr. Ezekiel Oyemomi, Permanent Secretary, Career Management, OHCSF, said the peer review was aimed at providing internal assessments on the working of MDAs in the country.
He noted that the peer review mechanism “brings about an environment for interaction and to check productivity and also to see how far the mandate of a particular MDA is being carried out”.