New Delhi, Mar 8 (KNN) The Finance Bill would be passed by the Parliament before the 31st March, 2017, therefore, the different Ministries should be in a stage of readiness as the funds for various schemes would be available with effect from 1st April, 2017, said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Jaitley was addressing all the Financial Advisors in the different Central Ministries/Departments after releasing the Revised General Financial Rules (GFRs) – 2017 at the Conference of the Financial Advisors (FAs) in the national capital on Tuesday.

Earlier speaking on the occasion, Ashok Lavasa, Finance Secretary stated that the Revised GFR -2017 aims to provide a framework within which an organization manages its business in a financially prudent manner without compromising its flexibility to deal with varied situations and that the new GFRs 2017 will enable an improved, efficient and effective framework of fiscal management while providing the necessary flexibility to facilitate timely delivery of services. 

The GFRs are rules and orders dealing with matters involving public finances.

In the last few years, the Government has made many innovative changes in the way it conducts its business. Reforms in the Government Budgeting like removal of distinction in non-plan and plan expenditure, merger of Railway Budget with General Budget, focusing on outcomes through an improved Outcome Budget document, all needed to be reflected in the GFRs.

Increased focus on Public Finance Management System (PFMS), reliance on the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme to ensure efficient delivery of entitlements, introduction of new e-sites like Central Public Procurement Portal, Government e-Marketing (GeM) Portal, Non-Tax Revenue Portal have also necessitated revision of the existing GFRs to keep them in tune with the changing business environment.

The objective was to make the GFRs facilitate efficiency while following principles of accountability and procedures of financial discipline and administrative due diligence. New rules on non-tax revenues, user charges, e-receipts portal have been added in addition to the manner in which Autonomous Bodies are run. (PIB Inputs)