Gaborone: The Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Charles Tibone has said the Government recognises the need to improve public financial reporting to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability in service delivery. He said Botswana undertook a Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Performance Assessment during 2009 to assess the current status of the public financial management system of the central government, in supporting fiscal discipline, strategic allocation of resources, effective and efficient service delivery and accountability.

"When viewed from the perspective of key objectives of a sound Public Financial Management system, namely aggregate fiscal discipline, strategic allocation of resources, efficient delivery of services and effective accountability, Botswana scores relatively well in many respects," he said.

Tibone said the quest for the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to strive for more improvements propelled it to review its business processes for the better. "The introspection has been embraced by the staff of the ministry at all levels. It even has political championship at the very highest levels starting with the Minister himself," he said.

"Although Botswana has not adopted a formal Public Financial Management reform strategy, there have been important reforms undertaken in the past," he said.

The Assistant Minister said there is a Public Service Reform Coordinating Unit in the Office of the President. We believe that Public Financial Management reform needs to be developed in tandem with public service reform.

He said since 2004, the Botswana Government operates an integrated financial management system, the Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS), based on Oracle software.

"In the recent past, accounting systems have been progressively modernized, taking advantage of technological developments in accounting automation, owing to the commitment and willingness of the Ministry to invest in the value adding timely financial reporting," he said.

Tibone said the formulation and implementation of a Public Financial Management Reform Programme will strengthen and improve planning, budgeting and the reporting public finances.

"The reform agenda would without doubt attain a more effective and efficient budget formulation, implementation and control geared towards economic diversification as well as vibrant private sector," he said.