FinanceNet to shut down

FinanceNet home page

FinanceNet, the government's financial management Web portal, will cease operations Dec. 1 as part of a reorganization of how the government disseminates financial management information online.

Although FinanceNet officials have been instructed not to speak about the matter — executive director Preston Rich declined comment — the FinanceNet Web site itself announced the decision.

"Effective Dec. 1, 2001, FinanceNet's financial management Web portal will cease," the site says. "On and after that date, current users needing access to financial management information previously available and organized via the FinanceNet portal will need to visit" the FirstGov Web portal.

The Chief Financial Officers Council made the decision, which resulted from "examining various options for providing access to financial management" information, council officials said in a two-page response to FCW queries.

The Treasury Department's acting assistant secretary for management and chief financial officer, Steven App, a member of the FinanceNet steering committee, said the decision was a "straightforward business decision."

Council officials noted that when FinanceNet was created in 1994, the National Science Foundation, which has hosted the site and its staff, was one of a few agencies with Web-hosting capabilities. Today, however, virtually every agency hosts a Web site. The decision "was made in part to leverage this expanded capability," the council said.

The FinanceNet site notes the change will not affect subscribers and users of FedSales and GovSales public portals and e-mail lists that provide and organize information on government surplus and asset sales. The General Services Administration will take over that information.