Tanzania
Judiciary Administration Act
Judiciary Administration (Internal Finance) Regulations, 2020
Government Notice 2 of 2021
- Published on 1 January 2021
- Commenced on 1 January 2021
- [This is the version of this document from 1 January 2021.]
Part I – Preliminary provisions
1. Citation
These Regulations may be cited as the Judiciary Administration (Internal Finance) Regulations, 2020.2. Application
3. Interpretation
In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:"accounting officer" means the Chief Court Administrator;"accountant" means any officer appointed and charged with the duty of accounting for the Judiciary Fund;"Act" means the Judiciary Administration Act;[Cap. 237]“assets” means non-current assets which are furnitures, equipment, plants and machineries, land and buildings as well as motor vehicles;“authorizing officer” means any person who is responsible for issuing or signing accountable documents on behalf of the Judiciary;"authorized officer" means an employee of the Judiciary who is authorized in writing either generally or specifically to act on matters of any specified kind or to discharge any duty or responsibility;“budget” shall have a meaning ascribed to it under the Budget Act;[Cap. 439]"chairman" when used in relation to the Commission, means the chairman of the Commission and includes a person acting in that office; when used in relation to a Committee, means the chairman of that Committee;“Chief Accountant” means a person who directs day to day activities of the accounting department and is responsible for the central accounting records and controls over all financial transactions of the Judiciary;"Chief Executive Officer" means the Chief Court Administrator of the Judiciary appointed under section 7 of the Act;"Chief Registrar" means a person appointed under section 27 of the Act to be a Chief Registrar;"court administrator" means any person appointed under the provision of section 11 of the Act to be a court administrator;"Commission" means the Judicial Service Commission referred under section 13 of the Act;"Constitution" means the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, 1977;[Cap. 2]“contract” means a legally binding agreement entered into between the office and a supplier, contractor or consultant for the sale or supply of goods or services or for the execution of works;"Consolidated Fund" means the Funds established under Article 135(1) of the Constitution;"Controller and Auditor General" means a person referred to in Article 143 of the Constitution;"disposal" means the divestiture of public assets including intellectual and proprietary rights and goodwill and any other rights of a procuring and disposing entity by any means including sale, hire, purchase, tenancies, rental, lease or auction;"employee" means any person who is employed in the Service;"expendable stores" means stores of a consumable nature such as foodstuffs, medicines, nails, soap which except for control of their use is kept within reasonable and economic limits, and are not accounted for;"financial year" means a period starting on the 1st day of July and ending on 30th day of June;"Judiciary Fund" means, the Fund established under section 52(1) of the Act;"inspection officer" means the Director of Government Assets Management pursuant to the provisions of the Public Finance Act and its regulations;[Cap. 348]"head of department" means an officer in-charge of, and heading any department in the Judiciary Service, including any officer appointed to discharge the duties and responsibilities of that officer under acting capacity;"head of unit" means an officer in charge of, and heading any unit in the Judicial Service, including any officer appointed to discharge the duties and responsibilities of that officer under acting capacity;"head of section" means an officer in charge of, and head of a section in the judicial service including any officer appointed to discharge the duties and responsibilities of that officer under acting capacity;"Internal Audit" shall have the meaning ascribed to it under regulation 33 of the Public Finance Regulations, 2001;[G.N. No. 130 of 2001]"officer" or "public officer" means an employee who hold a degree of a recognized university or equivalent qualification;"Paymaster General" shall have a meaning ascribed to it under the Public Finance Act;"procurement" shall have a meaning ascribed to it under the Public Procurement Act;[Cap. 410]"Procurement Management Department" means a division or department in the Judiciary responsible for the execution of the procurement functions;"procurement processes" means the successive stages in the procurement cycle, including planning, choice of procedure, measures to solicit offers from tenderers, examination and evaluation of offers, award of contract and contract management;"property" means official assets, countable documents, pending works, projects, stores, vehicles and other movable plants and equipment, staff and finance reports;"public finances" means monetary resources appropriated to the office through budgetary processes, including the Consolidated Fund, grants, and any moneys legally acquired from local or foreign donors;"sub-warrant holder" means an officer authorized by accounting officer to manage funds within a sub-vote;"tender" shall have the meaning ascribed to it under the Public Procurement Act;[Cap. 410]"tender document" shall have the meaning ascribed to it under the Public Procurement Act;[Cap. 410]"works" means—(a)works associated with construction, reconstruction, demolition, repair or renovation of a building, structure, road or airfield;(b)other civil works such as site preparation, excavation, erection, building, installation of equipment or materials, decoration and finishing; and(c)service which is rendered and contracted on the basis of performance of a measurable physical output such as drilling, mapping, satellite photography:Provided that, contracts which include the provision of works and services shall be regarded as works contracts if the total value of the works is greater than the value of the services covered by the contract.4. Officers to be conversant with Regulations
The Chief Court Administrator, the Chief Registrar, the Registrar of Court of Appeal, the Registrar of the High Court, deputy registrars, directors and assistant directors, court administrators, magistrate in-charges and any other officer in charge of whatsoever designation in the Judiciary shall ensure that all employees in the office where they are in charge have access to these Regulations.Part II – Budgeting and budgetary control
5. Preparation of budget estimates
6. Basis of budget estimates
7. Participatory planning and budgeting
8. Presentation and adoption of budget estimates
9. Expenditure not originally included in the estimates
10. Unspent cash balance at the end of a year
11. Voted funds to be applied to the purpose intended
12. Basis of the financial statements
The financial statements of the Fund shall be prepared in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards and general accepted accounting practices.Part III – Management of the Judiciary Fund
13. Power to authorize public expenditure
14. Allocation of resources
15. Duties and responsibilities of the Chief Court Administrator as an accounting officer
16. Receiver of revenue
The Chief Court Administrator shall be personally responsible for ensuring that adequate safeguards are applied for:17. Accountability of the sub-warrant holders
Every sub-warrant holder shall be accountable to the accounting officer for the management of all financial matters delegated to them, and in that respect their responsibilities shall include:Part IV – Revenue
18. Collection of revenue, methods of collection, etc.
19. Sources of revenue to the Fund
20. Unspent cash balance
Any unspent cash balance at the end of the financial year shall, after obtaining permit from the Pay Master General, be retained by the Judiciary for the purpose for which the Fund is established.21. Account of the Fund
Account of the Fund shall be kept with such bank or banks subject to the provision of the Public Finance Act and all the moneys payable as source of revenue for the Judiciary pursuant to the provision of section 53(1) of the Act, shall be deposited in such account.Part V – Control and vouching of payments
22. Methods of payments
23. Changing to year of accounts
24. Payment voucher
25. Certificate of accuracy
26. Responsibility of accounting officer regarding disbursement
27. Mode of signing payment vouchers
28. Accounting for unauthorized or irregular payment
In the event of an unauthorized or irregular payment being made in consequence of an incorrect certificate, the officer who caused the error and if acted negligently, shall be held responsible and any loss that occasioned may be recovered from him.29. Vote control registers, consequences of unvouched payment and incorrect or incomplete vouchers
30. Role of Chief Accountant to ensure payment
31. Missing vouchers or supporting documents
32. Authorization of imprest
33. Issue of imprest
34. Imprest to be issued to the holder
35. Duty of imprest holder
Part VI – Classification of accounts
36. Approved estimates
The approved estimates shall form the basis of the accounts for the year to which they relate the analysis and classification of the accounts of revenue and expenditure shall accord with those estimates.37. Form of accounts
38. Security of accounting systems
The accounting officer shall take all reasonable precautions to guard against damage, destruction or falsification of or in and discovery of falsification of or in any book, account, record or part of a book, account or record required to be kept, and in particular shall ensure that all instructions issued in that respect are implemented and enforced.39. Audit trail
Part VII – Handing and taking over the office
40. General requirement in handing over the office
41. Handing over certificates
42. Handing-over notes
43. Duties of officer handing over
44. Duties of officer taking over
45. Shortages and discrepancies found during hand-over
46. Distribution of statements
47. Procedure where taking over cannot be made
Where, for any reason, an incoming officer considers that the state of the records, balances or security is such that he cannot conscientiously take them over, he shall immediately seek instructions orally from his accounting officer and promptly submit to the accounting officer, with copies to the Pay Master General and the Controller and Auditor General a written report of the circumstances of the case.48. Loss of account-table documents and action to be taken
Part VIII – Internal control system
49. Internal checks
50. Internal Audit Unit
For purposes of discharging responsibilities under these Regulations, the accounting officer shall establish an effective Internal Audit Service Unit throughout the Judiciary as provided for under the Public Finance Act.[Cap. 348]51. Functions and powers of the Chief Internal Auditor
52. Establishment of the Audit Committee
53. Audit Committee to have access to accounting officer
For the purpose of effective discharge of its responsibilities, the accounting officer shall ensure that the Audit Committee has access to him.54. Representation in the meetings of Audit Committees
The Controller and Auditor General shall be informed in advance of all meetings of the Audit Committee and shall have the right to be represented at any meeting of the Committee.Part IX – Accountable documents
55. Accountable documents
56. Control of accountable documents
57. Destruction of accounting records
Part X – Procurement management
58. Judiciary Tender Board
59. Composition and appointment of the Judiciary Tender Board
60. The functions of the Judiciary Tender Board
61. Tender Board to report a breach of the Public Procurement Act or regulations
62. Procurement Management Department
63. Function and responsibilities of Procurement Management Department
64. Powers of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority
The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority shall monitor procurement being undertaken by the Judiciary and may call for reports from both the accounting officer and the Judiciary Tender Board.65. Inspection, sampling and testing of goods
66. Receiving, accepting and inspecting Committee
Part XI – Public store
67. Inspection and reports on stores
68. Regular checks in the stores
Part XII – Property, plant and equipment
69. Assets
70. Accountability of non-expendable stores
71. Furniture and equipment to be brought on charge in master inventory
72. Individual location to be evidence by two inventories
73. Physical check up of items
74. Master inventory to apply in cases of vehicles
The master inventory shall be designed to record not only the holdings of such items, but also all appropriate details such as the name of their manufacturer, their chassis, engine number, and any auxiliary equipment, spares and tools.75. Fund office books to be charged in catalogue
76. Use of Judiciary vehicle
77. Maintenance of log books
History of this document
01 January 2021 this version
Commenced