Abuja- The ECOWAS Court, on Monday inaugurated “PROJECT ECOLINK“ to ensure transparency and accountability in its resource planning and management system.
Mrs Khadi Saccoh, the Commissioner for Finance, ECOWAS Commission, told newsmen at the launch of the project in Abuja that the scheme would enable all ECOWAS institutions to work with a centralised system that would strengthen the community’s financial operations.
Saccoh said that the introduction of the project would raise the integrity rating of the bloc through its improved financial operations.
“ECOLINK is an enterprise resource planning management system; what that means is that all the ECOWAS institutions would be using the same financial, human resource and procurement management system.
“We have launched it at the commission, we have now launched it in the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice and on March 23 it will be launched in the ECOWAS Parliament.
“By the end of the second quarter, all ECOWAS institutions and agencies will be using the same enterprise resource planning management system.
“In taking decisions that would improve the lives of community citizens, you have to rely on data with integrity.
“This system will enable us to get data (that) can at least be classified as data with integrity, not only for the community institutions, but for donors as well.
“And if our data is deemed reliable, we will get more funding from our donors.
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“Before you can help the community citizens, you have to make sure that the basis of the decision to help them is unified across all ECOWAS institutions.“
Saccoh said that adequate “checks and balances“ had been created to ensure that transactions were all inclusive.
“With this centralised system, not one person can start and end a transaction.
“It provides assurance to the donors that the funds they provide is being spent on what they signed agreements for,“ she said.
In her remarks, Mrs Maria do Céu Silva Monteiro, the President of the court, said that the project was in line with international best practices.
Monteiro said that the system would strengthen relations between institutions and facilitate the ECOWAS vision 2020.
The ECOLINK Project was initiated in 2014 with the aim of improving key operations within the ECOWAS community. (NAN)
