GUWAHATI: “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 wellbeing of citizens. For that purpose, adoption of Public Financial Management System (PFMS) is must for judicious utilisation of government’s earnings and expenditures.”
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal 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 on Thursday. 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.
Saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ensured direct transfer of financial benefits to the intended beneficiaries through Digital India scheme, Sonowal referred to the opening of bank accounts of eight lakh people of tea community in the state for receiving their wages and providing Rs 5000 by the state government in those accounts through Chah Bagicha Dhan Purashkar Mela scheme.
Stating that with full implementation of PFMS, delays in the intermediaries would get reduced and funds would reach to the beneficiaries and vendors on time while removing middlemen from the system, the chief minister said that the development of a nation is dependent on the availability of financial resources and the efficient and effective financial administration.
“Government is not only about focusing on running the public welfare schemes, but is also about ensuring that the benefits reach the intended beneficiary while maximising the utilization of the funds available and not keeping the funds idle. In order to streamline the benefits from public spending and deploy its meagre resources in an effective manner use of digital tools is a must” he said.
He also expressed satisfaction that Assam was taking a lead role in implementation of PFMS and state’s efforts in implementation of PFMS in NSAP had been chosen as a model and recognised by Government of India.