Mauritius: Financial Management Kit

In its efforts to promote good governance, the Government of Mauritius attaches great importance to economy, efficiency, accountability and transparency in the management and utilisation of public resources. In order to achieve these important objectives, it is vital that a coherent and consistent set of principles, rules and instructions is available to guide public officers in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities.

The existing Financial Management Manual (FMM) was issued in 1990. Since then, financial instructions have been issued from time to time to cope with new developments in public financial management. With the introduction of Programme-Based Budgeting (PBB) as from 1 July 2008 and in view of the improved financial legislation supporting the fiscal reform, financial procedures have undergone fundamental changes. In this context and with a view to enabling the smooth implementation of fiscal reforms, there is need to provide public officers with the necessary tools to cope with their day to day duties efficiently and effectively within the set regulatory framework.

Accordingly, the current version of the FMM is being replaced by a Financial Management Kit (FM Kit) which provides public officers with an all inclusive set of reference documents. It is intended to ensure uniformity and standardisation in public financial management.

The FM Kit comprises of –

Volume I – Duties and Responsibilities in Management of Public Finance

Volume II – Financial Management Manual (FMM) - General Financial Procedures

Volume III – Programme-Based Budgeting Manual (PBBM)

Volume IV – Chart of Accounts Manual (COAM)

Volume V – FMM-Procurement & Supply Procedures

Volume VI – FMM-Internal Audit

Volume VII – Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Manual

Volume VIII – Financial Laws & Regulations:

♦ Finance and Audit Act

♦ Public Debt Management Act

♦ Public Procurement Act and Regulations

The FM Kit will be issued in electronic version by Volume to all Supervising Officers and Accounting Officers of Ministries /Departments as well as to the OIC Financial Operations, OIC Procurement & Supply and OIC Internal Control. The Supervising Officers/Accounting Officers should ensure that all relevant officers have access to the FM Kit.

Financial Instructions issued by way of Circular letters as from the introduction of PBB, i.e. 1 July 2008, are posted on the website of MOFED and are to be found in folder Financial Instructions. The financial instructions will be removed from the folder when they are incorporated in the FM Kit.

In the application of the instructions contained in the FM Kit and Financial Instructions issued by way of Circulars, public officers are requested to make proposals to their Accounting Officers with a view to improving the financial management system. The proposals should be transmitted by the Accounting Officers together with their comments to the Financial Secretary by letter or by e-mail. The proposals will be examined by the Financial Management Review Committee (FMRC) referred to in paragraph I.3.12 and where necessary, changes will be made in the FM Kit.