KARACHI: First time in the history of Pakistan, Sindh became the first Province to introduce Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS)) at the local council’s level with an aim to automate the accounting and Financial Management process across the local councils of the province. This was stated by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while witnessing the signing ceremony of MOU between Controller General of Accounts, Islamabad, Sindh Local government and Finance department, said a statement issued by the CM House here on Friday. The CM said that there were over 60,000 employees of the local councils and with the introduction of the new system, the provincial government would be able to automate the process of disbursements of Salaries and Pensions directly into the Bank accounts of the employees without delays easing up the difficulties for the pensioners and the employees of the Councils. Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the new system would enable the local councils in producing real time and flexible reporting and enable them to track and trace the funds at each spending unit level. “The new system shall bring about added transparency and accountability at the local councils level,” he said. Earlier, Secretary Finance Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Local Government Najam Shah (on behalf of Sindh government) and DG Management Information System Mohammad Umar (on behalf of the Controller General of Accounts, Islamabad) signed the MOU. In the first phase, the new system would be introduced in Karachi and then in the rest of the province.