Gov't releases P600M for anti-corruption IT system
MANILA, Philippines – The budget department said on Thursday, March 20, it released P600 million for the administration's anti-corruption information technology (IT) system.
The Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), is an online application that integrates all public financial management processes of the government.
The Web application will be integrating processes – such as accounting, cash management, reporting and auditing – performed by the 3 major oversight agencies of the government: the Department of Budget and Management, the Commission on Audit, and the Department of Finance-Bureau of Treasury (DOF-BTr).
"Because it’s Web-based and updated in real time, all data in the system are easily tracked to ensure the integrity of our public financial management processes," Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said.
The P600-million release will help cover the following:
| Particulars | Total |
|---|---|
| Study GIFMIS system requirements and installation | P346,490,000 |
| Application Software Licenses for transaction users | 314,560,000 |
| Application Software Licenses for read-only users (auditors) | 31,930,000 |
| System design, development/configuration & customization | 60,280,000 |
| Software customization/development for application software | 60,280,000 |
| Installation of IT Infrastructure | 118,250,000 |
| IT infrastructure with installation and configuration cost | 118,250,000 |
| Operational acceptance of GIFMIS | 74,980,000 |
| Training and Capacity Building during implementation phase | 9,460,000 |
| Change Management & Communication Services | 65,520,000 |
| TOTAL | P600,000,000 |
The release was charged against E-government fund, a line item in the General Appropriations Act that supports major information and communication technology projects of the government.
“We’re getting GIFMIS off the ground, exactly as the President instructed. The whole system, once in place, will embed financial transparency in the day-to-day operation of government,” DBM Undersecretary and Chief Information Officer Richard Moya added.
Moya added that GIFMIS serves as a major instrument for the government's good governance initiatives.
Recently, the government also launched the Open Data website to address concerns on public governance and accountability. (Read: Will Open Data initiatives make government offices in the country more transparent?)
"Outdated systems and processes are susceptible to abuse, leading to inefficiency, wastage and opportunities for the unscrupulous to steal," President Benigno Aquino III said during the good governance summit held January 2014. – Rappler.com
