From Monday 1 to Wednesday 3 October 2018, in Kintélé (northern suburb of Brazzaville), Henri Loundou, Director of cabinet, representing Calixte Nganongo, Minister of Finance and Budget of the Republic of Congo, opened the workshops of presentation of the new legal framework and awareness on the new expenditure chain of the Integrated Public Financial Management System (SIGFIP).

This workshop is part of the modernisation process of public finance management, in which Congo Brazzaville stroke out, based on harmonised framework established by Central Africa Economic Community (CEMAC).“This new legal framework should be put to the credit of the Minister of Finance and Budget, Calixte Nganongo, whose ambition is reforming, computerising and interconnecting all financial authorities, in order to simplify, modernise and secure revenue collection and expenditure execution” ,  said Henri Loundou. Adding that “SIGFIP is the computer counterpart of the new budget execution framework. Its complete implementation will allow our country to make a major leap toward modernity, in terms of budget development, revenue and expenditure execution. It will also allow the control of financial information exchanged between the various institutions; especially the Government of Congo, the Audit and budget discipline Court, etc.”

It should be noted that this seminar is the first of a long series of information and training sessions that will punctuate the schedule of the Information system reform project of the Ministry of Finance until January1, 2019, date of the actual use of SIGFIP.

The various topics of presentation

During three days, the 60 participants will be taught on topics such as  :  the summarypresentationof thescope of budget and accounting reform of public finance,  presented by Saturnin Ipodo-Nzingou, assistant project-manager SIGFIP- user group ; presentation of the new legal framework of public finance management ; functional and technical presentation of the need, price request and commitment ;  functional and technical presentation of the stage of liquidation and authorisation for payment ;  functional and technical presentation of accounting and payment support ; functional and technical presentation of self-training platform. 

Lessons learned from the scope of the accounting and budget reform of public finance?

Summig up the first presentation of the day, Saturnin Ipodo-Nzingou declared that in the National Development Plan (PND) 2018-2022: a priority was selected: the strengthening of public governance. This priority is divided into various sub-priorities, including the modernisation of finance management.  Modernising this management means, first, improving transparency, increasing public management efficiency, that is to say, to give the greater freedom and accountability to actors of public finance management who are authorising officers (ministers and presidents of institutions), budget controllers and accountants.

 Modernising this management means, then, directing the budget to the search for results. 

Modernising this management means, finally, committing decision-makers and public actors on the performance.

The speaker emphasised that this seminar is addressed to all the actors of the public expenditure chain (Directors of study and planning- DEP;administrative and financial officers- RAF; - administrative and financial Directors- DAF).

Interest of the workshop

This workshop aims at teaching participants the justification of all Government expenditure in the firstCFA franc. Because, some public contracts, until this day, did not reveal their precise cost at first.  That is why we observe the recurring phenomenon of endorsements. 

The Press office of the Ministry of Finance