Ministry of Finance and Planning organized the GePG Annual Summit 2018 for three days from 12th – 14th December, 2018 at Ministry of Finance and Planning (Treasury Square building ) in Dodoma. The Annual Meeting involved representatives from both Service Providers (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) and Payments Service Providers that their Institutions have already connected and using GePG system to collect Public money by November, 2018.
The summit was opened by Guest of Honor, Hon. Dr. Khatibu M. Kazungu who is the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Economic Management (DSEM) at Ministry of Finance and Planning.
In his speech, Dr. Kazungu acknowledged all those participated in preparing and implementing the summit and all participants who traveled from different parts of our country to attend the summit. He emphasized that, the Summit was very important since it was the first time for all public institutions and Payment service Providers (PSPs) that use the GePG System to have the opportunity /forum to stay with the GePG team and discuss various issues such as GePG features, various challenges and develop the best way to use GePG system to enhance the effectiveness , transparent and control in public spending and collections.
Also, he reminded the participants that the main objective of introducing the GePG system was to solve the previous challenges in collecting public money such as: insufficient real time financial information, difficulty in doing reconciliation, long queuing in public offices by customers caused by the exercise of a service payment assessment and verifying payment. He added that GePG helps to overcome the mentioned challenges by enhancing public transparency and control, improving and simplifying public service delivery and reducing costs associated with public finance collection as well as availability of real time financial information.
Furthermore, Dr. Kazungu emphasized all public institutions to join and use GePG system in accordance with the Financial Act 2001 as amended by the Finance Act 2017, which specifically directs all public money shall be collected electronically through the GePG system.
Moreover, all Public Institutions were advised to utilize the opportunity of existing of GePG to open various bank accounts in different banks (as currently more than eleven banks and six mobile networks operators already joined and using GePG). By doing so, it will simplify the payment process and create more flexibility and convenient to Customers eventually reduces cost and increase Government collections.
Lastly, Dr. Kazungu highlighted that the use of GePG system is in line with the implementation of other Government directives relating to collections that require public institutions to have collections account at Bank of Tanzania (BoT) and submit it to Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning. Also, Hon. He reminded all Public institutions that have not yet joined the GePG , to join and integrate with GePG System and ensure that all public monies are collected via GePG System by 30th June, 2019.
For more Detail Download the Full Speech –Swahili Version (GePG Annual Summit Opening Speech- By Dr. Kazungu)