ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved additional funds of Rs263.988 million for the office of Controller General of Accounts (CGA) for the implementation of online billing solutions in federal and provincial accountant general.

The ECC was submitted a summary by the Finance Division, wherein, it state that the office of the CGA has been performing its functions, as per law, including developing and maintaining an efficient system of pension, provident fund and retirement benefits as well as authorisation of payments and withdrawals from Federal Consolidated Fund and Public Accounts against approved budgetary provisions.

The Finance Division added that it has been intimated that on the directives of the Cabinet Committee on Institutional Reforms (CCIR), the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission and the DLI of the World Bank, the CGA office has successfully piloted submission of bills to the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) office through online mode (named as Sahal) replacing the old system of physical submission of paper-based bills and their pre-audit/Invoices with electronic form.

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The development has been completed through in-house research and development (R&D). To meet World Bank’s DLI (under program-for-results PforR), Ministry of Federal Education and the Ministry of National Health Regulations were chosen for piloting of the system. Both ministries have been submitting all bills of current budget online since the beginning of this year. Currently, only eight Federal Divisions are on “Sahel”.

The online billing system also seeks to integrate with e-procurement system which is under development through World Bank funding, as well as electronic funds transfer to vendors for “ease of doing business in Pakistan” under the Bol.

All development projects using Assignment Accounts as well as payments under the ADPs are covered in the system roll-out.

Earlier, on the request of the office of CGA for allocation of additional funds amounting to Rs263.988 million to extend the online billing solution (“Sahel”) to Federal and Provincial AGs, the Finance Division has accorded concurrence for provision of the requested funds as Technical Supplementary Grants (TSGs) during the current fiscal year.

The Finance Division further stated that office of the CGA has sought approval of the ECC for provision of additional funds amounting to Rs263.988 million out of PforR project as TSG, under cost centre during the current fiscal year in order to continue implementation of online billing solution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023