26 Jul 2022

Plans are underway to upgrade the Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS) to enhance its efficiency. 

The process, which is currently at procurement stage, is expected to be complete in 12 months.

“I also wish to inform this House that we are currently in the process of procuring services for further upgrading of the system to an upper version, and we do hope that with that upper version it will provide more advanced features and capabilities and will further stabilise and enhance GABS,” said finance minister, Ms Peggy Serame.

She said the upgrade was expected to avail more critical features such as dashboards and self-service modules.

Ms Serame noted that following the last upgrade of the system in February 2021, there had not been any major performance challenges hence no downtown performance this financial year.

She further noted that from the 171 740 transactions received between January and June, 83 per cent were successfully paid within the ministry’s 48 hours standard turnaround time. 

She said the remaining transactions did not meet the standards due to various reasons, including incorrect payee details, incorrect banking details and missing appropriate supporting details. 

She said other challenges were not directly associated with the GABS system but were connectivity issues, among others.

However, she said she was hopeful that network connectivity in rural areas would be addressed through ICT services being rolled out.

Bobonong MP, Mr Taolo Lucas had asked the minister about the progress made in enhancing the performance of GABS and the progress in the turnaround time for payment of persons, companies or entities owed by the government in the last six months. 

He also quizzed about the outstanding challenges to the optimal performance of GABS, and when the system was anticipated to perform optimally. Ends