Overhauling of City Hall accounting office underway

CEBU, Philippines - An overhaul of the Cebu City Accounting Office is underway to ensure a smooth and on time transactions.

Councilor Jose Daluz III announced that a major change is needed not on the officials but in the lay-out of the office to make the flow of things smoother to prevent delays in the transactions.

Daluz said this is one of their identified solutions to improve the accounting office that is usually blamed for the alleged delays in the payment of transactions made by the city government.

Daluz said that they have already hired experts from Manila to do the lay-out. With the planned changes in the office design, officials hope that the accounting office will be more organized and more efficient, especially in record keeping.

During the take over of newly installed OIC City Accountant Marietta Gumia, some vouchers for the payment of partner pharmacies in the City’s Hospitalization Assistance and Medicines Program were allegedly found piled up at a corner near the comfort room.

The city wants the accounting office to be able to establish a more systematic record keeping and tracking system of the vouchers that have been completed as well as those that are not.

In the City Council, Daluz said he is now drafting an ordinance that will implement the anti-red tape law.

In the accounting office in particular, Daluz said the ordinance shall mandate that all vouchers for examination shall only sit in the office for five days, at most 10 days for major transactions.

Failure to comply with the policy shall subject the examiners at the city accounting for suspension, then termination.

Daluz said that this shall prevent delays in the examination of vouchers and the release of payments to suppliers. (FREEMAN)