By GINNAH MINI
THE Department of Works and Highways (DoWH) has launched its Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payment system today-replacing the manual cheque payments to improve efficiency, transparency, accountability and service delivery in the department.
The Department of Finance has implemented the EFT payment system for faster payment processing, reduced payment delays, improved financial accountability and audit trails, reduced risk of fraud, cheque loss, and manual errors, better visibility and tracking of payments and lower administrative costs.
Secretary for DoWH, Gibson Holemba during the launching thanked the Department of Finance for driving the EFT agenda of cutting down delays in the public service procurement and the expenditure system.
Mr. Holemba said that most of the time, contractors complains to the department about cheques being held up at
finance for clearance which this new payment system will improve it.
“The EFT process will help us cut down this bureaucratic process on payment system to bring in efficiency in the public service and to also restore accountability and transparency,” Mr. Holemba said.
First Assistant Secretary for Department of Finance, Marlene Philip, said that the department has rolled out the EFT system to at least eight government agencies already and is working to implement it to the whole of government departments and agencies.
Mr. Holemba noted that the accounting processes, balance of management, expenditure processes and the scrutiny of the manual and EFT systems are the same, but the difference is bringing the manual system online and administering it which makes it more seamless and accessible.
“Right now, I’m approving payments from my phone so its easier,” Mr. Holemba said.
“Where I go I can just access and give approval directly online instead of sitting at the computer.”
With the transition into the Electronic Funds Transfer the DoWH encourages other government departments to embrace technology and adopt to the new transformation.