New Delhi | It is imperative for government departments to make the governance system citizen-centric, efficient and transparent, President Droupadi Murmu said on Monday.
Addressing a group of officers, she said they have joined government service at a time the country is undergoing a digital transformation.
"There is a rising expectation among the public for greater efficiency in service delivery while ushering in transparency and accountability. To address these concerns, it is imperative for government departments to make the best use of technology and make the governance system citizen-centric, efficient and transparent," Murmu said.
The president was addressing officer trainees of the 31st batch of the Probationers Training Course at the Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management in Haryana's Faridabad.
These officers from the Indian Civil Accounts Service, Indian Defence Accounts Service and the Indian P&T (Finance and Accounts) Service had called on Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Addressing the officers, she said visionary steps such as Direct Benefit Transfer, real-time monitoring of funds through PFMS (Public Financial Management System), introduction of e-bills and updation and simplification of financial rules and procedures have boosted efficient functioning of the government.
"Your job is not only limited to the maximisation of the utility of financial resources but also includes analysing the impact of policy changes and proposing reforms to improve the various systems of governance, including the financial management systems," the president said.
Murmu asked the officers to keep pace with the world of ever-changing and advancing technology to undertake these tasks.
"Your efforts and endeavours should be to devise mechanisms to use the latest technology and make our accounting and auditing systems seamless," she suggested.
Murmu said a good public financial management system is the very basis of good governance.
Today, in every part of the world, countries and institutions are developing integrated financial management information systems in the delivery of public services and are setting up new standards in accounting, auditing and budgeting, she said.
"You must keep yourselves abreast of the best global practices in these subjects and derive the best benefits applicable to the Indian context. You should ensure that the process of learning and innovating continues throughout your lives not just for your own development but for the larger good," the president said.