Zambia considered one of world’s worst performers on budget transparency

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budget transparency
budget transparency

The Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC) has asked Alpha Sirius Inc. (www.alphasirius.com) and Ajay Vonkarey to provide SAP services and training to the Government of Zambia’s ministries and provinces. The project is an effort to allow all of Zambia’s Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) users to achieve SAP proficiency in accordance with international standards. It will consist of a three-day seminar for senior-level accountants and procurement officers at the IFMIS training center in Lusaka, Zambia, as well as a two-day assessment mission of current capacity levels at the ministries of Finance, Agriculture, Home Affairs, Health and Education.

IFMIS is a software system that relies on SAP software to enhance transparency and information sharing across government institutions. Zambia is considered one of the worst performers in the world in terms of budget transparency. In 2012, the International Budget Partnership gave Zambia a score of 4 out of 100 for budget transparency, ranking at #97 out of 100 countries surveyed.

The IFMIS Project is largely funded by the World Bank and by the UK’s Department for International Development. There is also a Public Financial Management group of international donors and interested stakeholders that meets regularly to discuss the IFMIS project as well as other donor-funded initiatives. The Finnish government is working on a small project to help to implement IFMIS in the Luapula Province. The FSVC’s program will complement and support the overall IFMIS project’s goals and objectives by assisting the ministries and provinces that already have the system in place, maximizing effective usage of the system.

The FSVC, a non-profit public-private partnership whose mission is to help build the sound financial systems needed to support robust market economies in transition and developing countries, approached Alpha Sirius Inc. with this volunteer opportunity earlier this year. Based on Vonkarey’ s experience in SAP ECC 6.0 & SAP BI BEx 7.1 modules, he will be one of just two volunteer experts to embark on this three-day trip to Zambia and assist in improving the ministries’ and provinces’ capacity to collect and analyze fiscal data through the IFMIS.

Founded in 1998, Alpha Sirius Inc. is a Business Consulting and Technology Services firm focusing on Implementation, Business Process Optimization, and Support of Integrated Business Systems around SAP. The company is headquartered in New Jersey with branches and affiliates in Dallas, California, and international locations in Denmark and India.

 

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