Lagos Unveils Treasury Circular Booklet To Guide Finance, Account Officers

The Lagos State Accountant-General/Permanent Secretary, State Treasury Office (STO), Dr Abiodun Muritala, has called on finance and account officers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state to acquaint themselves with the Treasury

Circulars for better understanding of their duties.

Speaking at the unveiling of the booklet, anchored by the Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Mrs Boladele Dapo-Thomas, at STO Resource Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Muritla stated that Treasury Circulars were issued periodically by the Treasury Office to guide finance and account officers on the approved processes of government financial business to avoid infractions.

He said the document is the compilation of Treasury Circulars for 14 years.

He said the State Treasury Office accounts for receipts and payments of government funds, collates and prepares Statutory Financial Statements and inspects the books of MDAs to ensure compliance with the rules and regulations.

Besides providing cash for government projects, the STO is also empowered to facilitate the capacity building of accountants to enhance their quality service delivery, the AG added.

The event, which coincided with the first STO’s training in the year for Directors/Heads of Finance and Account Departments, focuses on ‘Cash Management and Contemporary Issues’, ‘Preparing for Shocks in an Emerging Economy’ and ‘Imbibing the culture of a Life-long Learner’.

Muritala stated that the objective was to educate accountants on the need for periodic learning and inculcate in them the trends in the system, especially the cashless policy and others.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mrs Kikelomo Bolarinwa, said: “With the situation of things and the dynamic nature of knowledge acquisition, only those who can acquire additional knowledge, periodically, can remain relevant for the demand of tomorrow’s workplace.”

A representative of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Tope Adeniyi, listed the various disasters that had confronted the state over the years, maintaining that Lagos remained resilient amid the challenges and handled them well.

He added that for the state government to continue to respond swiftly to emergencies, it must embrace effective collaboration with the private sector.