Let us not blame the system (IFMIS)

Many people have vehemently condemned IFMIS and called it a tool to steal public money with, without really knowing what exactly it is and what exactly it does.

The first thing to note is that IFMIS is a system. It was created with the intention to protect public funds and is run and managed by human beings. Remember, a system is as good as its users and, therefore, between the user and the system, we should blame the user for using the system for a purpose that was not intended.

Many of the recent public funds embezzlement cases that have come into the public limelight have been made known through IFMIS. IFMIS is, therefore, a whistle blower. It is a messenger and we should not kill the messenger. Was it not for IFMIS, these cases would have gone unnoticed and nobody would have learned of them. It is IFMIS that has raised the alarm.

What is IFMIS then? The Integrated Financial Management System is an automated public financial management system that interlinks planning, budgeting, expenditure management and control, accounting, auditing as well as reporting.