Finance Minister, Wale Edun, reveals plans to utilize tech in monitoring FG's revenue, expenditure

Finance Minister, Wale Edun, has said the federal government is considering optimizing both her revenue and expenditure across Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs with the introduction of National Single Window( NSW).

NSW is a federal government automation and digitalization initiative designed to bring greater efficiency in the way MDAs collect fund and would be meant to account for them including the way funds are spent.

Edun, who is the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, said the federal government plans to onboard NSW as a guide for administering MDAs finances in the face of mounting leakages in the system over the weekend in Abuja.

Over the years, pilfering, diversion of funds across MDAs by government personnel is hindering efforts by the government to maximally implement budget provisions. The introduction of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and Treasury Single Account ( TSA) as part of MDAs reform programmes had yet to drastically cut down pilfering of government resources across MDAs.

Shedding light on workings of NSW to be introduced by current administration, Edun said: “in terms of leakages and greater efficiency, there has to be a move to greater efficiency with government finances both on the revenue and expenditure side by automation and digitalization.

“These are key initiatives which the government will pursue, which will bring greater efficiency in the way they collect fund and account for them, and also the way funds are spent.

“One particular area in which automation digitization technology is critical is what is called the National Single Window . it’s an e- government community that covers so many areas – trade facilitation across various ministries.

“It’s an initiative which by the time it grows, it will cover most of the government ‘s activities. This will take us unto another level with efficiency and blocking of leakages,” he said.

Edun who expressed displeasure with regards to reported padding of salaries by some MDAs by a way of doctoring IPPIS promised to look into it.