Functional Efficiency in Office Procedures

Functional Efficiency in Office Procedures

-Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia

Efficiency Concerns

The efficiency depends upon the simplicity of procedures, easiness in implementation, and removal of redundant laws and methods to perform the functions. There is need to revise the procedures to make the work easier. In case, the processes are restructured to ease the work; the compliance burden of laws will automatically be reduced significantly. The red-tapism is controlled with launching single window systems, like one-stop point for all services. 

Rationalization of work processes

With digitalization in work, the scanning is used instead of printing documents, mode of direct transfer in bank accounts instead of issuing vouchers in hard form, and e-Office is used instead of green notes from one table to another in offices. 

Training Programme of Faculty of Financial Management, HIPA:

Purpose:

The course is designed to build the capacities of Government Officers to perform their administrative and financial functions more efficiently by ensuring compliance with office procedures and financial rules.

Who participated in the course?

The course built up the capacity of 24 Officers including Principals, Block Development & Panchayat Officers, Women, and Child Development Project Officers, and Drawing & Disbursing Officers.

What has been covered in this course:

At the end of the course, the participants became able to (i) Describe the office procedures and managerial approach for doing work collectively with team spirit including observance of proper office decorum (Do and Don’t), Performance Appraisal, etc. (ii) maintain, retain, and weeding out official records as per Government Rules, (iii) describe the role of Head of Office, Drawing and Disbursing Officer, and Accounting personnel to perform financial operations with compliance of rules including purchase procedures and use of Integrated Financial Management System (e-billing, e-Gras, Online Budgeting, etc.)

*Copyright © 2018 Dr. Lalit Kumar. All rights reserved. 

This article is written by Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia; a renowned author and trainer. He completed his Doctorate in Commerce from Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra and MBA in Information Technology from GJU, Hisar. He also wrote two books, 15 research papers, and organized more than 200 Training Courses during his working period since 2006 in Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Gurugram. The article was published on 10th October 2018 and last updated on 28th September 2021. The writer can be contacted on lalitkumarsetia@gmail.com

Financial Procedures in Government

Financial Procedures in Government

-Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia*

The issue of ensuring compliance of financial procedures in Government Organizations is not a new emerging issue. It is seen everyday or at least every-week, in the newspapers regarding financial irregularities, embezzlement, political intervention, and reports of Comptroller and Auditor General exposing the shortcomings of financial framework in Government offices. It is required "to build the capacity of Officers to perform financial procedures at their workspace as per latest Financial Rules and instructions issued by Government". 

The Financial and Administrative Officers including Finance Managers, Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs), XENs, SDOs, Principals, Deputy Directors, Employment Officers, Accounts Officers, Section Officers etc.; who deals with the accounting and financial operations in Government offices are required regular updates with regard to latest rules and regulations. The State Administrative Training Institutes are relied by the Governments to incorporate emerging issues in their training curriculum and assist officers to understand the significance of each new update alongwith enforcing the updated rules, instructions in the officers under their supervision. 

Skills for Financial Operations:

What is required basically, is to upgrade the skills of officers dealing financial and accounting operations with regard to various grey areas identified during the past training courses being organized from time to time. It is the need of the hour to describe the provisions of Punjab Financial Rules relating to Financial Management; undertake Purchase Operations as per latest Financial Rules (including GeM and e-Procurement); compute recovery of Loans and Advances as per latest norms including functioning through Punjab National Bank (PNB); use MS-Excel software to undertake operations relating to financial procedures at workspace; and deduct accurate amount of income tax and submitting e-TDS return. 

On part of Administrative Training Institutions (ATIs); it is ensured that the officer trainees remain punctual and participate sincerely in each training session. On the first day of course, an introduction of facilities available at campus of the institute, are described and it is also tried to assess the training needs of the participants so that greater emphasis can be given on training inputs where they are facing more difficulties at their workspace such as  

 e-procurement and Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

or 

financial procedures relating to e-TDS

or

purchase and Government eMarketplace

The courses normally proved beneficial with providing a lot of learning in the form of notes and presentations during the training days. The practical exercises and assignments further develop the interest of trainees to have in-depth knowledge of financial procedures. In each batch, as per standards of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT); the number of participants enrolled, remain between 15 to 25. The adequate number of officers also been provided opportunity to have interactions thoroughly with clearance of all doubts.  

You may also like:

1. Compliance of Financial Rules in Government Organizations

2. Financial Terminology for Finance Officers

3. Financial Terminology for Drawing and Disbursing Officers and Financial Executives

4. Organizational Performance depends upon Accountability and Compliance of Rules

5. Fixing Responsibility of an Officer or Staff in Frauds & Embezzlement

6. Financial Terminology for Drawing and Disbursing Officers and Financial Executives

7. Tax Deduction at Source for Deductors

8. Fixing Responsibility of an Officer or Staff in Frauds & Embezzlement

9. Superintendents enforce and supervise administrative control

Financial Terminology for Drawing and Disbursing Officers and Financial Executives (Part-2)

Financial Terminology for Drawing and

Disbursing Officers and Financial Executives (Part-2)

-Dr.Lalit Kumar Setia*

Face Value

The nominal value of stocks, shares, bonds, certificate etc.  This value excludes premium or discount.

Fictitious Assets

Those assets which appear in the balance sheet but do not represent value that can be realized e.g. Preliminary expenses not written off.  They arise out of genuine transactions.

Final Accounts

The set of financial statements produced in the form of Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet at the end of the Accounting period.

Finance

The raising or providing of money for public or commercial undertakings.

Financial Accounting

The systematic recording in monetary terms of information about a firm, primarily for creditors, shareholders and taxation authorities.  It is the giving or presenting of final results in the form of Profit and Loss account and Balance Sheet of the firm.

Financial  Management

A subject that covers the managerial aspect of funds in the sense of resources and disbursements.  It includes decision making processes on how best to utilize available funds; how to cut costs and increase revenues.

Financial Ratios

A ratio used to analyse the performance of an organization by finding a relationship between two items of accounts.

First In First Out (FIFO)

The stock which is acquired earliest is assumed to be used first, the stock acquired latest is assumed to be still on hand. A method of pricing materials which has the effect of charging less to profit and loss account and higher valuation in the balance sheet than other methods of stock pricing.

Fiscal Year

A period covered by the Budget, as used in the United States. A period of twelve consecutive months used as an accounting period.

Fixed Assets

Assets which have long term use such as furniture, machinery, building etc. and which are acquired to assist the production process and are not used for trading i.e. to make a  profit by reselling them.

Fixed Cost

A cost which for a given period of time and range of activity called the relevant range does not change in total but becomes progressively smaller on a per unit basis as volume increases.

Flexible Budget

A budget that provides budgeted amounts for all levels of production within the relevant range-a budget which can be automatically geared to change in the levels of volume or output.

Freehold

An ownership of land where the owner or holder of the land has free and absolute possession for all times to come without any encumbrances.

Free Trade

International trade without tariffs, quotas or other artificial restrictions.

Fund

Sum of Money.  Income set aside for a particular purpose.  Stock or capital.  Government stock and public securities.

Futures

A means by which merchants or other large buyers could hedge against price fluctuations of a commodity in which they deal.

Gain 

A profit which is earned as a result of some activity other than from a regular business or trade.

Goodwill

The total purchase price of assets acquired in lump-sum purchase that exceeds the total of the amounts that can be justifiably assigned to the individual assets.  Intangible assets of a firm established by the excess of the price paid for the going concern over its book value.

A benefit of an established firm over new firms in terms of the likelihood of repeat business from its customers.

Value of a business in excess of the realizable value of its tangible assets.  It can arise when consolidated accounts are prepared and there is a surplus of the purchase price of share capital in the subsidiary company above their underlying net asset value.

Government Securities

Securities issued by the Government which may be short-term, medium-term or long-term.  They are usually issued in the form of bonds or treasury bills.  They are also termed as funded stocks.  Government stocks are known as gilt-edged by the British Government.

Income

Gain, interest or revenue resulting from employment, business activity etc.

Incentives

A system of wage payment which offers an inducement in the form of a bonus to encourage workers to maintain a high level of output.

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*Copyright © 2018 Dr. Lalit Kumar. All rights reserved.