Advisory for payments towards closing of the financial year through PFMS/RBI especially on 31st March 2024: CGA, FinMin

Advisory for payments towards closing of the financial year through PFMS/RBI especially on 31st March 2024: CGA, FinMin OM dated 21.03.2024

Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure
O/o the Controller General of Accounts
Mahalekha Niyantrak Bhawan
GPO Complex, E-Block, INA,
New Delhi — 110 023

No. R- 16001/1/2020-GBA-CGA/152-161

Dated: 21st March 2024

Office Memorandum

Subject: Advisory for payments towards closing of the financial year through PFMS/RBI especially on 31st March 2024

Reference is invited to this Office Memorandum No. TA-2-03001 (3)/1/2021-TA-II (E-5450)/161 dated 23rd January 2024 (Annexure -I) and OM No. TA-2-03001—(03)/1/2021-TA-II (E-5450)/104 dated 15th February 2024 (Annexure I) and OM No. TA-2-03002 (03)/1/2021-TA-II/e-5450/136 dated 14th March 2024 (Annexure III) regarding advisory for monitoring of the status of bills and to avoid system overload during the last hours of the end of the FY 2023-24.

2. In order to ensure smooth closure of the financial year 2023-24, the following special arrangements are put in place in consultation with RBI and PFMS for March 31, 2024, under IGA, IAAA, TSA, Central Sector Schemes payments (implemented through TSA Model) i.e. under e-kuber integration framework:-

A. For Inter-Governmental Advices (IGAs)

(i) Electronic IGAs through PFMS can be processed up to2345 hours on 31st March 2024, as per the RBI window for processing electronic IGAs on the same day. Electronic IGAs which are processed through PFMS and sent to RBI after 2345 hours shall be processed as March Residual. PFMS will remain up and running till the end of FY i.e. up to 2400 hours on 31st March, 2024.

(ii) Incase, the IGAs cannot be processed electronically, then the same may be processed physically up to 2400 hours under the signature of an authorized person updated at RBI and sent to CAS, RBI, Nagpur (format attached as Annexure-IV).

(iii) IGA should not be processed through both channels (that is, physically and as well as through PFMS). It should be processed either electronically through PFMS or physically.

B. For IAAA Payments

All the payments files under IAAA payments (for above Rs. 100 crores) and other e-payments can be processed through PFMS till the end of FY 2023-34 i.e. up to 2400 hours on 31 March 2024. However, efforts should be made that these e-payments files are processes well in advance by 2300 hours and latest by 2330 hrs on 31st March 2024 to enable both PFMS and e-kuber systems process these files smoothly.

C. For Treasury Single Accounts (TSA) and Central Sector Payments (implemented through TSA framework)

(i) Under the TSA Systems/Central Sector Schemes, all the assignment advice issued by the PAOs/ABs are valid up to 2400 hours of 31st March 2024.

(ii) However, considering that issuance of e-assignments is pre-payment activity followed by action at the end of RBI, PFMS, and Agencies to begin payment transactions. Accordingly, it must be ensured that assignment limit files meant for FY 2023-24 are sent to e-kuber well in advance by 1800 hours and latest by 2000 hrs so that the e-payments against balance assignments are completed well before closing hours on 31st March 2024.

(iii) Keeping in view the holidays in the last week of March 2024 and also in order to avoid system overload during the last days of FY 2023-24, Pr. CCAs/CCAsS/CA (i/c) of Ministries/Departments may also request the Programme Divisions in their Ministries/Departments to complete the processing of sanctions expeditiously after taking IFD concurrence etc. wherever applicable for expediting issue of assignment and release of payments against these assignments well before 31st March 2024

3. Help Desk and Nodal Officers for any issues related to March closing operations are annexed (Annexure —V)

4. All Pr. CCAs/CCAs/CAs (IC) are requested to issue necessary directions for processing payments accordingly by PAOs/Pr.AOs.

This issues with the approval of Competent Authority

Encl. as above

(Narender Singh)
Asstt. Controller General of Accounts (GBA)

To

1. All the Financial Advisors of the Ministries/Departments
2. Addl. Secretary (PF-State), DoE, MoF, New Delhi
3. Addl. Secretary (Budget), DoEA, MoF, New Delhi
4. All Pr. CCAs/CCAs/CAs of Ministries/Departments (holding independent charge)
5. CGM, DGBA, RBI, Mumbai |
6. All the concerned Pr.AOs of the Ministries/Departments with the request to advice the concerned PAOs to share with the Nodal Officers of ABs under TSA and Central Sector Schemes implemented through TSA framework the above advisory.
7. Sr. AO (ITD) with the request to upload said OM on CGA’s website.

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