Gov’t transparency project #1 — FinMin launches new digital platform to monitor government transactions and expenses: Finance Minister Mohamed Maait announced on Thursday the launch of a new digital platform through which all state ministers and governors can keep track of their respective budgets and expenditures, according to a ministry statement (pdf). The new system is expected to tighten control over state finances and enhance both transparency and accountability, according to Maait. The move is part of the government’s plan to transition towards a cashless economy — which is at the heart of the economic reform agenda, the minister said. The House of Representatives had approved amendments to the Accounting Act last month, which enshrine the transition towards a cashless economy, making it mandatory for all government transactions to be electronic, and banning the use of paper cheques for transactions above a set threshold. The move is meant to help regulate public spending.