THE government has banned all its institutions from crafting their electronic payment systems without the permission and guidance of the Ministry of Finance and Planning and E-Government Agency (eGA).
The ban was announced yesterday in Dodoma by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Mr Doto James, when launching the Government Electronic Payment Gateway Application (GePG App).
The event attracted officials from the Ministry of Finance and Planning, government departments, boards and public parastatal organisations from the Central Zone.
The PS said all government institutions must adhere to Circular No. 5 of the Treasury that requires all public institutions to first seek approval of Ministry and eGA before setting up an electronic payment system.
“It has come to our attention that some leaders of the institutions are violating the directives as stipulated in the circular for reasons best known to themselves. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to warn all the institutions whose leaders have been or are planning to engage in such practices because it is against the law,” Mr James remarked.
Speaking on GePG App, Mr James said the improvement of electronic payment systems would facilitate timely revenue collection, including proper provision of services to the public.
“The advantages of electronic payment system include enhancing transparency, controlling revenue collection, getting accurate information on money collected and curbing discrepancies in revenue collection,” he said.
Mr James congratulated the Director in charge of e-government payment systems in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Mr John Sausi and his team for constituting the Government Electronic Payment Gateway and introduction of GePG App, which had simplified revenue collection.
He promised to continue supporting the department so that it could innovate new systems that will facilitate timely revenue collection.
