Modernise systems in government departments by using information technology, urges President

President Mukherjee on Tuesday said that it is imperative for the government departments to modernize systems by making the best use of information and communication technology.

Addressing the probationers of Indian Defence Accounts Service, Indian Civil Accounts Service, Indian Railway Accounts Service and Indian PandT Finance and Accounts Service who called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, President Mukherjee said that there are rising expectations amongst the public for greater efficiencies in service delivery accompanied by transparency and accountability in government processes.

"In order to address these concerns, it is imperative for government departments to modernize systems by making best use of information and communication technology and to make such systems citizen-centric, secure, efficient, economical and transparent," President Mukherjee said.

"The Tax Information Network, OLTAS, the National Pension System are all extremely fine examples of pan-India systems which have simplified life for the ordinary citizen and have introduced greater efficiency and transparency in key areas of government's functioning," he added.

President Mukherjee emphasized that this trend shall only intensify in the future and urged all the officers to take part, as and when they have the opportunity to do so, in the development of such pan-India systems.

The President said that he had been informed that NIFM, apart from a multitude of on-campus activities, also organizes attachments for probationers with various offices and organizations of relevance where they are exposed to practical aspects of governance.

He expressed happiness that probationers are also taken to the USA for an exposure to financial management practices at the federal and the provincial government levels.

President Mukherjee urged the probationers to assimilate the learnings that they gather from such important country exposures and apply them appropriately in the Indian context.

He said that keeping pace with the fast-changing world of information and communication technology also requires constant up-gradation of systems and processes.

"We need to examine how best we may use technology to make our payment and accounting systems seamless, as also progressively use IT tools in auditing to not only unearth frauds but also to evaluate and monitor the processes and outcomes of various government schemes," President Mukherjee said.

"The challenges are many and the opportunities are vast and immense," he added.

President Mukherjee said he was sure that all of them will rise to the occasion and live up to the expectations of their countrymen.

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The President said that the Government of India decided to establish the 'National Institute of Financial Management' (NIFM) in 1993 to train the newly recruited officers of the Finance and Accounts Services.

"The idea behind setting up NIFM was not only to train probationers in subjects related to Financial Management but also to inculcate a sense of camaraderie and esprit d' corps amongst service officers. The opportunity of staying and learning together with officers from the different accounting services shall prove to be extremely beneficial to them in the years to come," he said.

President Mukherjee said that as Union Finance Minister, he was the President of the NIFM Society between 2009 and 2012 which gave him the opportunity of getting to know about the activities of NIFM.

He said that he was happy to say that NIFM had progressed well in the two decades of its existence.

"Various long term courses and Management Development Programs on cutting edge financial issues are now being organized by NIFM in addition to training programs in public financial management for Defence Services, State Governments, Banks, Public Sector Enterprises, Autonomous bodies and other stakeholders of Government," said President Mukherjee.

"Another important area that they have branched out into is organizing long term and short term courses on financial and securities markets in collaboration with the BSE and NSE. It was a matter of satisfaction that NIFM had entered into MoUs with various Universities and institutions in the USA, Europe and Asia, apart from tie-ups with various institutions in India," he added.

President Mukherjee stated that these collaborations need to be encouraged as they impart a much needed global perspective to the learning that is imparted and also allow for cross cultural sharing of ideas and experiences.

The President said that good 'Public Financial Management System' (PFMS) is the key to good governance.

"The organized accounting services that they represent are charged with the responsibility of building and maintaining a strong and robust system of financial management. In almost all countries of the world today, there is a move towards developing 'Integrated Financial Management Information Systems' (IFMIS) and towards setting up Standards in Accounting, Auditing and Budgeting," said President Mukherjee.

"The Government of India is also moving towards such a system. In India today this is a necessity in view of the increasing quantum of public expenditures which require a sound system of tracking, monitoring and reporting to be in place. In developing such a system we need to learn from best global practices and build upon them," he added.