The Nasinu Town Council is set to enhance its financial operations through the implementation of an automated accounting system. Imran Khan, the acting chief financial officer of the council, addressed inquiries from Illesa Vanawalu, chair of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, following the council’s presentation of its annual reports for 2011-2017.
Vanawalu had proposed the introduction of a cost center for better evaluation of departmental budgets and asked about the council’s progress in this area. In response, Khan explained that the council is currently maintaining Excel records for each department, manually tracking costs and comparing them with revenues.
Khan noted that some additional administrative fees and fines have been implemented, yet there are challenges due to the council’s reliance on various agencies. He highlighted the issue of enforcing solid waste management fines, where a portion of the collected fines goes to the Ministry of Environment, which complicates the council’s ability to manage costs effectively.
He acknowledged that the council often incurs higher enforcement costs compared to the revenue generated from fines. The council is actively reviewing these financial structures in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government.
While Khan pointed out that essential services such as public health and health licensing represent cost centers, he emphasized that many of these services carry minimal or no charges. Despite the financial challenges, he reiterated the importance of maintaining these services for public welfare.
In summary, the Nasinu Town Council’s engagement in automating its accounting processes signals a positive step toward improved financial management and efficiency, which can ultimately enhance the delivery of essential services to the community. With the support of local government ministries, there’s potential for the council to streamline operations and better serve the public’s needs moving forward.
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