Financial accounting software for municipal corporations still in procurement

 

 

A key reform meant to keep local government finances transparent and current is yet to be implemented as the financial accounting software remains in the procurement stages. 

 

The system is being introduced to ensure accurate record keeping across municipal corporations. 

 

This comes after the 2025 audit report by the Auditor General's Department revealed that all 14 municipal corporations have outstanding financial statements for the fiscal year 2024/25.

 

The report, which was tabled in January, revealed that the municipal corporations and a Parochial Revenue Fund did not submit 95 financial statements, thereby breaching the Local Government (Financing and Financial Management) Act.

 

During Tuesday's meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting to review the report, Permanent Secretary in the Local Government Ministry, Marsha Henry-Martin, said the process to procure the software is in the advanced stages. 

 

"So the system is a software that would be utilised within the accounts units to allow for the inputs of data, the analysis of financial data and to allow it to prepare the statements in a systematic manner. So we believe with the recruitment and selection exercises that are underway within each local authority, with the system that we expect to be implemented by the first month of the new financial year. There's a one month projection for initiation, a four month for configuration and then development and integration, testing and validation, another month. My IT person is advising me that's approximately six months," she outlined.