Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday launched the electronic bill (e-Bill) processing system as part of ease of doing business and Digital India eco-system.

Suppliers and contractors will now be able to submit their claims online, which will be trackable on a real-time basis. A Budget 2022-23 announcement, the e-Bill system, the government says, will enhance transparency, efficiency and a faceless-paperless payment system.

The system will be implemented across all central ministries and departments.

While launching the e-Bill processing system, Sitharaman said: “The launch today will ensure end-to-end digital payments. People outside India want us to share our experience on managing payments.”

She also highlighted the efforts of the government in using technology for facilitating the financial inclusion drive in the country

She was speaking at the 46th Civil Accounts Day in New Delhi, which was also attended by TV Somanathan, finance secretary, and Sonali Singh, head of the organisation of Controller General of Accounts, among other dignitaries.

On procurement policies, Somanathan said: "Not just financial advisors but all members of Indian civil account services need to be sensitised about what the changes are, what the implications are, and what the finance ministry expects from them."

The finance secretary reread a portion from Budget 2022-23: "The modernised rules allow the use of transparent quality criteria besides cost in the evaluation of complex tenders. Provisions have been made for payment of 75 percent of running bills, mandatorily within 10 days and for encouraging settlement of disputes through conciliation."

Somanathan said this was an attempt to change the rule structure on procurement. He said the rules were arrived at after much deliberation and it would be best for all members to "master" the new rules rather than "dislike" them.

A keynote address was made by Amitabh Kant, chief executive officer, NITI Aayog, on reforms in Public Financial Management. The Public Financial Management System is a unified information technology platform through which the government payments including all direct benefit transfers (DBTs), non-tax receipts, and accounting functions are performed.

Sanjay Aggarwal, advisor, procurement policy division, ministry of finance, gave a presentation on general guidelines on procurement and project management.

First Published:Mar 2, 2022 4:06 PM IST