LAHORE, July 11: Federal Communications Secretary Tariq Mahmood has said that Project for Improvement in Financial Reporting and Auditing (Pifra) will revolutionize the government audit and accounts system. Inaugurating the cheque-printing machines installed under the project at the Punjab Accountant General’s Office here on Monday he said that the system would ensure transparency in government receipts and expenditure by making authentic financial record readily available for audit. The system would provide online access to the record of government income and expenditure and salaries and pensions of employees.

Punjab Accountant General Wazir Ahmed Qureshi said that installation of the printing machines would save a lot of time spent on typing of hundreds of cheques issued to government employees and departments every month. As many as 1,700 cheques had been issued during the last month alone, he added.

The secretary said Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Sheikhupura, Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Attock, Jhelum, Gujrat, Jhang, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kasur and Sahiwal would be linked to Pifra network through the AGPR Lahore sub-office next year. Work on bringing Hafiazabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, Khushab, Chakwal, Layyah, Bhakkar, Toba Tek Singh, Lodhran Pakpattan, Khanewal, Narowal, Okara and Rajanpur on Pifra network would begin next year, he said.

Pakistan is the first South Asian country to have introduced Pifra.