PMCG Introduces Georgian Reforms in Public Finance to the Parliament of Ukraine

Oct, 2010

On October 27-28 and under the project of the Westminster Consortium of Democracy, PMCG will provide 2-day training to the Budget and Finance Committee staff of the Ukrainian Parliament. PMCG consultants will deliver a series of presentations concerning the latest achievements of Georgia in Public Finance. Apart from the already implemented budgetary reforms, the Ukrainian audience will learn more about upcoming developments in performance budgeting and external and internal audit. Roles and institutional powers of the key players (government, president, parliament) will be explained in light of the new constitutional changes as well.

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PMCG Continues Capacity Building in the State Institution

Oct, 2010

The World Bank contracted PMCG to provide a targeted financial management training program for the Finance Department staff of the Ministry of Internally Displaced People from the Occupied Territories, Refugees and Accommodation of Georgia. The training program is continuation of the preceding technical assistance program provided by PMCG to the finance department within the FORECAST project funded by USAID in June 2010. Start Date: October 11, 2010End Date: November 20, 2010Country: GeorgiaClient: Ministry of Internally Displaced People from the Occupied Territories, Refugees and Accommodation of GeorgiaFunder: World Bank Description of the Training Program The World Bank administered SPF Grant for the Internally Displaced Person's Community Development Project implemented by Internally Displaced People Community Development Center, a legal entity under public law, contracted PMCG to provide a targeted financial management training program, aimed at strengthening the financial management capacity of the Finance Department (FD). The training program will improve the overall finance management system of the Ministry through increasing the capacity of selected key staff of the FD. The goal of this training program is to meet the training needs of the Finance Department staff as identified in the Training Needs Assessment document developed by PMCG experts as one of the deliverables of the previous technical assistance project within the FORECAST program funded by USAID in June 2010. The training program is aimed at developing technical skills of FD staff necessary for keeping financial management and procurement manual continuously updated and in line with the existing FM practices in place at the FD. It will also increase FD staff awareness of the existing accounting and financial reporting methodology, its development history as well as the accounting reform strategy for the decade ahead. The topics of the training program are as follows: Accounting Instruction for Budget-Financed Organizations (Accounting); Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001(GFSM-2001); Financial Management and Procurement Manual (FMPM). PMCG will provide the following deliverables: Training materials, printout of slides; Final report including the recommendations for further strengthening the financial management capacity of trainees.

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PMCG has started cooperation with PUM, Dutch government program

Sep, 2010

During 5-12 September, 2010 Mr. Jan Boeren, the Sector Coordinator in the field of Business-Support & Management for PUM visited PMCG. The Dutch expert is also an excellent practitioner managing the consulting company “Koenders & Partners”. Mr. Boeren and PMCG’s management exchanged experience and knowledge in the field of strategic management, marketing & sales, organizational development, leadership and human resource management.The project was implemented within the framework of the PUM program which is financed by the government of Holland which endeavors to contribute to the development of a social market economy by sending motivated senior experts to share their knowledge and experience with client companies. PMCG plans to continue partnership with PUM by following up to monitor the effectiveness of the mission and provide new impulses and modifications to its development.

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PMCG is Supporting the Ministry of Refuges and Accommodation of Georgia

Jun, 2010

  The USAID funded FORECAST program, implemented by World Learning Inc., contracted PMCG to provide targeted Technical Assistance (TA) and support services aimed at developing and strengthening the accounting and financial management capacities of the Finance Department of the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation (MRA). Start Date: June 2010End Date: September 2010Country: GeorgiaClient: Finance Department of the Ministry of Refuges and AccommodationFunder: Forecast/Georgia, World Learning Description of the Project:The goal of this project is to support the Ministry of Refuges and Accommodation (MRA) to improve the overall finance management system through increasing capacity. This will be accomplished by a) providing TA and training to review, streamline and document the ministry's™ finance and accounting regulations and procedures; b) assisting the Finance Department to establish an audit function; and c) providing the necessary TA and training aimed at building reporting and accounting systems in compliance with internationally accepted rules and donor requirements. The objectives of the proposed project are as follows: To streamline the financial management, accounting and finance systems of the Ministry; To assist the MRA Finance Department in developing a Financial Management Policies and Procedures Manual to better reflect reporting, auditing and financial management needs; To assist the MRA finance department to define and establish an audit function within its structure; To improve the quality of data and verifiable financial reporting for MRA senior management, the Government of Georgia (GoG), and external stakeholders/donors; To ensure conformity with state and donor reporting standards and requirements. PMCG will provide the following deliverables: Draft Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), developed in coordination with FORECAST; A financial accounting and reporting manual (including procurement, cost accounting, and cash management); An agreed upon and approved reporting framework responding to the various donor/partners’ reporting requirements; An approved and documented framework for establishing and operationalizing an audit function at the MRA’s™ Finance Department (including written functions, responsibilities, rules, procedures and relevant forms/templates); Listing recommendations and proposed strategies for further strengthening the audit function of the ministry with the view of establishing a separate Auditing Unit in the future.

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PMCG and NAO Held Training Entitled Financial Scrutiny for Parliamentary Staff Supported by WFD

May, 2010

A three-day training on financial oversight sponsored by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and implemented by PMCG and National Audit Office (NAO) of UK was held in Telavi on May 26-28. Representatives of both PMCG and NAO together with the Parliamentary staff gathered to strengthen public servants’ skills to conduct an active financial examination of the Government. All of the participants of the training on Financial Scrutiny for Parliamentary Staff listened to the main topics, and were engaged in discussions, comparing Georgian reality to the best UK practices and participating in carefully designed practical exercises. At the end of the meeting all participants agreed to continue working toward the improvement of financial oversight skills. The training was a part of the 4 year capacity building programme that WFD is implementing in Georgia and it will be followed up by what is known as practicum in the next phase. The practicum will mainly focus on the following documents: 2009 Annual State Budget Execution Report prepared by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the BDD document developed by the Government of Georgia (GoG) and Chamber of Control Report on 2009 State Budget execution. PMCG will support the Parliamentary staff in preparing oral and written briefs and comprehensive reports on these documents.

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PMCG, together with EP (Greece) is Implementing a Project at the Revenue Service of the MOF Georgia

May, 2010

PMCG, as a subcontractor of European Profiles S.A (Greece), is implementing a project, that will help the Ministry of Finance of Georgia to meet the policy objectives in the Customs area, as outlined in the European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan (ENP AP), facilitating gradual harmonization of Georgian Customs regulations and practices with relevant EU standards and norms, thereby contributing to the increased transparency of the Public Finance Management (PFM) sector and to facilitating foreign trade.Start Date: May 2010End Date: December 2010Country: GeorgiaClient: Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of GeorgiaFunder: European Union Delegation to Georgia Description of the Project:The project provided assistance to the Ministry of Finance in assessing the administrative and operational capacity of the Revenue Service in the area of Customs policies, systems and procedures. The project will help the MoF to assess the existing capacities in the fields of: Legislation; Organization and Management Human Resource Management. Customs ethics Internal Audit Training Trade facilitation and relations with business Public relations and communication Customs cooperation Revenue collection Risk management Export controls Border and inland control Transit and movement of goods Customs valuation Post-clearance control and audit Investigation and enforcement Customs enforcement on Intellectual Property Rights Supply-chain security Infrastructure and equipment Customs laboratory Information and communication technology The work will be carried out in cooperation with the MoF to assess the organizational and operational capacity of the Revenue Service. The assessment will be done according to "Customs Blueprints" that are practical guidelines prepared by Customs Union of the European Commission and based on EU best practices.Following on from this assessment, detailed recommendations will be provided to the MoF and the Revenue Service. Overall, the project will provide: Assessment of the administrative and operational capacities of the Revenue Service in the area of Customs policies, systems and procedures according to "Customs Blueprints". Recommendations and tentative action plan for 2010/2011 to the MoF and Revenue Service in order to harmonize Georgia's Customs system with EU best practices.  

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PMCG is Lobbying the Draft Law on Accounting and Audit

May, 2010

  In accordance with the Law on Lobbying Activities, PMCG moved to lobby the Draft Law of Georgia on Accounting and Audit. The draft law has been elaborated by Georgian Federation of Professional Accountants and Auditors (GFPAA), with support from the World Bank (WB) and International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). Start Date: March 2010End Date: December 2010Country: GeorgiaClient: Georgian Federation of Professional Accountants and Auditors (GFPAA) The main purpose of the law is to: introduce international accounting and audit standards in Georgia; simplify and improve the accounting system for small and medium enterprises; form transparent business environment resulting from improved accountability; reduce the risk factors for bankruptcy based on transparency of financial reporting. The draft law aims to refine the legal framework for accounting, financial reporting and audit in Georgia, and to define the following: i) legal and institutional framework for accounting and reporting; ii) levels of financial reporting; and iii) rules and conditions for external audits. The draft law consists of 6 chapters: Accounting, Audit, Nominated professional organizations, Public supervision, and Transitional and Conclusive Provisions. The role of PMCG is to launch lobbying activities related to organizing relations with legislative and executive bodies and actively cooperating with decision makers, for the purpose of adopting the amendments in the legislation. Specifically, their role involves: lobbying/promoting the adoption of the law on Accounting and Audit by the Parliament; engaging in the debates and discussions of the law on Accounting and Audit of Georgia; closely cooperating with state and nongovernmental organizations and make a special campaign if necessary, in the regard of approving the draft law on Accounting and Audit; and to revealing and explaining the advantages and necessity of the draft law to the public. The Law on Lobbying Activities was adopted by the Parliament in 1998, although there have been fairly few provisions of applying it and very small number of registered lobbyists in Georgia since then. Therefore PMCG’s precedence can be regarded as a significant impetus for stirring up the official lobbying activities in the country.

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Prospects of Georgia's Integration in the EU Customs Union

Apr, 2010

PMCG and ICC-Georgia will implement the project which will be targeted toward expediency issues for Georgia to integrate into the EU Customs Union. With the workshop conducted in Tbilisi, consultants from Turkey and Romania will develop policy recommendations for the Government of Georgia on the above-mentioned issue. PMCG together with ICC-Georgia is implementing a Project: Prospects of Georgia's Integration in the EU Customs Union PMCG and ICC-Georgia will implement the project which will be targeted toward expediency issues for Georgia to integrate into the EU Customs Union. With the workshop conducted in Tbilisi, consultants from Turkey and Romania will develop policy recommendations for the Government of Georgia on the above-mentioned issue. Start Date: May 2010End Date: August 2010Country: GeorgiaClient: German Marshall FundFunder: German Marshall Fund Description of the Project: The Black Sea Fund for Regional Cooperation, a project of the German Marshall Fund, is supporting the project focusing on expediency issues for Georgia to integrate into the EU Customs Union. PMCG and International Chamber of Commerce Georgia will implement the project and will carry it out in close cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and other state institutions and Georgian business associations. The project goal is to accelerate Georgia’s integration into the EU Customs Union. The following is the list of project objectives: Evaluate the benefits the country will gain through integrating into the EU Customs Union; Identify challenges of the integration into the EU Customs Union; Learn Turkish and Romanian best practices; Obtain recommendations from the international experts who personally participated in EU Customs Union joining processes in their countries; Assess and study difficulties that neighboring countries experienced during EU integration process and try to prevent them Prepare the grounds for the next activities which will: make a thorough analysis of the gaps in the regulations and standards of the Georgian customs legislation and detect divergences from the relevant EU practices prepare a detailed action plan for the government to join the EU Customs Union Analyze the areas closely related to the customs field such as: phyto-sanitary, veterinary issues etc. Increase public awareness about Georgia’s opportunity to join the EU Customs Union, including awareness among Georgian state institutions. The project will assist the Georgian Government to create a clear vision of the integration process into the EU Customs Union. Another significant impact will be donor community coordination within this field. A clear vision of the Georgian Government concerning the EU Customs Union will stimulate international donor organizations to support a large scale project which will prepare detailed gap analysis between the Georgian and EU customs legislation and an action plan on how to join the EU Customs Union. Few words about the partner institutions: The German Marshall Fund (http://www.gmfus.org) of the United States is a nonpartisan American public policy and grant-making institution dedicated to promoting greater cooperation and understanding between North America and Europe. The Black Sea Fund for Regional Cooperation, a Project of the German Marshall Fund, provides grants to local and national NGOs in the Wider Black Sea Region, to governmental entities, community groups, policy institutes, other associations to implement projects in the three programmatic areas of the Trust: civic participation, cross-border initiatives and Eastern Links. ICC-Georgia (www.icc.ge), the Georgian chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce, was established in 2002 and is dedicated to improving the business and investment climate in the country. Today ICC-Georgia unites leading companies and business associations within Georgia. A dynamic and energetic business organization in the country, it represents a wide array of business sectors and backgrounds.

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PMCG is announcing a Call for Policy Papers

Apr, 2010

PMCG together with the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), within the USAID funded Improved program 'Public Policy Discourse in Georgia' are pleased to announce a Call for Policy Papers. For full text of this announcement please see the attached documentation. Attached Documents Announcement on Policy Briefs_GEO Announcement on Policy Briefs_ENG

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PMCG is Lobbying the Draft Law on Accounting and Audit

Mar, 2010

Alex Aleksishvili, chairman of PMCG, according to the Law on Lobbying Activities was registered as a representative in the Parliament of Georgia on the draft Law on Accounting and Audit on April 19, 2010. The draft law has been elaborated by the Georgian Federation of Professional Accountants and Auditors (GFPAA), with support from the World Bank (WB) and International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). Start Date: March 2010End Date: December 2010Country: GeorgiaClient: Georgian Federation of Professional Accountants and Auditors (GFPAA) The main purpose of the law is to: introduce international accounting and audit standards in Georgia; simplify and improve the accounting system for small and medium enterprises; form transparent business environment resulting from improved accountability; reduce the risk factors for bankruptcy based on transparency of financial reporting. The draft law aims to refine the legal framework for accounting, financial reporting and audit in Georgia, and to define the following: i) legal and institutional framework for accounting and reporting; ii) levels of financial reporting; and iii) rules and conditions for external audits. The draft law consists of 6 chapters: Accounting, Audit, Nominated professional organizations, Public supervision, and Transitional and Conclusive Provisions. The role of PMCG is to launch lobbying activities related to organizing relations with legislative and executive bodies and actively cooperating with decision makers, for the purpose of adopting the amendments in the legislation. Specifically, their role involves: lobby/promote the adoption of the law on Accounting and Audit by the Parliament; engage in the debates and discussions of the law on Accounting and Audit of Georgia; Closely cooperate with state and nongovernmental organizations and launch a special campaign if necessary, approving the draft law on Accounting and Audit; and to reveal and explain the advantages and necessity of the draft law to the public. The Law on Lobbying Activities was adopted by the Parliament in 1998, although there have been few instances of it being applied and only a very small number of registered lobbyists in Georgia since then. Therefore, PMCG's precedence can be regarded as a significant impetus for stirring up the official lobbying activities in the country.

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