The initiative follows the successful adoption of the same project by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office. At present, pension payments of both agencies are now being coursed through Automated Teller Machines rather than check payments.
“By switching from check to ATM payments, our retired uniformed personnel can gain better and easier access to the benefits due to them. Not only does this expedite the process for claiming benefits among pensioners. It is also a definite step toward improving transparency in the pension release system, which used to be rife with irregularities,” said Florencio Abad, Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management.
Secretary Abad added that through this method, the government will be able to identify fictitious or ghost entries from the existing pensioner database, as well as prevent the creation of fraudulent accounts.
“Through the ATM platform, PNP retirees will need to personally open a bank account in the presence of a bank officer, thus preventing unscrupulous individuals from opening fraudulent accounts. This goes beyond changing to an electronic format to keep up with the times. It’s also about establishing a systematic method so that public funds are properly managed and will directly benefit their intended recipients,” he said.
The Secretary also confirmed that the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology will soon implement the same project.
---
Autor(en)/Author(s): Clarice Africa
Quelle/Source: futureGov, 26.04.2012
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
