The Turkish Ministry of Finance has started developing new methods to control government spending based of artificial intelligence (AI). According to the head of the department, Mehmet Şimşek, the preparatory work will be completed in two months, and within a year, AI will be introduced into the accounting systems.
"We implement an accounting project and advanced financial analysis with the support of artificial intelligence to ensure cost efficiency, quality, speed of decision-making and saving of public funds. AI will increase the efficiency of government spending, create a risk-based financial audit infrastructure, and increase the effectiveness of internal and external audits. We will complete the preparatory work within two months and implement the system within 12 months”, the newspaper quoted the minister as saying.Dunya.
Simsek said AI will be used by the General Directorate of Accounting to analyze data in various scenarios in accounting in general, as well as in the areas of payments, escrow, fees, financial statistics, expenses, salaries and in other areas. AI, according to the minister, will become a tool for advanced accounting analysis and will actually play the role of an early warning system.
"Artificial intelligence will analyze our costs in detail, identify cost savings opportunities and provide cost recommendations by analyzing common cost items for our institutions. Inefficient consumables will be removed. The quality and speed of services will not be affected”, said the head of the MoF.
Earlier, the Turkish Ministry of Finance announced a budget savings program that was necessitated by the crisis in the Turkish economy. It bans the purchase and leasing of new vehicles in the public sector for three years, except for essential needs in areas such as ambulance, defense and security. Restrictions on business trips abroad for civil servants are being introduced. For three years, the practice of holding buffets, business lunches and other entertainment events is also frozen, with the exception of the cases of organizing international meetings and national holidays. Prohibitions and restrictions have been introduced on departmental gifts such as magazines and calendars and other souvenir and corporate items. The package of savings measures, the Ministry of Finance indicates, will be expanded.