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BENCHMARKING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY PDF Print

"A Public Private Partnership Promoting Financial Transparency and Accountability" 

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The public interest demands a transparent and accountable financial system based on international standards, rigorously and honestly applied, by credible professionals with the requisite credentials. In transition economies across Europe & Eurasia, the Benchmarking International Standards of Transparency and Accountability (BISTA) project accelerates implementation of harmonized international standards, closes compliance gaps, and fosters global and regional alliances and the transfer of best practices. BISTA serves the public interest by ensuring the sustainability of regional and national institutions that improve and oversee the competency and credibility of accountants and auditors in the private and public sectors. Overall, BISTA project components enhance economic governance and the anti-corruption environment, contribute to improvement of the macroeconomic environment, encourage foreign and domestic investment, and increase human and institutional capacity.
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MEASURE International Conference PDF Print

MONITORING & EVALUATING ACCOUNTANCY SYSTEMS TO UNDERPIN REFORM & ECONOMIC GROWTH

 

CONFERENCE DATE & TIME:

30 Sept. 2009 - 09:00 until 17:00

CONFERENCE VENUE:
Royal NIVRA Headquarters (Conference activities will be held in the Limperg Room)
Antonio Vivaldistraat 2-8, Amsterdam
The Netherlands

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:
To register for conference activities, please RSVP by e-mail to Ms. Gabriella Kusz at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Please note your name, your title, the organization with which you are affiliated, your country of origin and the number of persons attending in your party. Registration will remain open until the day of the conference; however, attendees are encouraged to RSVP prior to the conference date.
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Accountancy Development Index UPDATE - 25 AUG 2009 PDF Print

 

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Representatives from over 40 countries from around the world are in the process of evaluating their country’s level of accountability and transparency as part of the Accountancy Development Index (ADI) Initiative. Developed by USAID’s Benchmarking International Standards of Transparency and Accountability (BISTA) project and designed in collaboration with Leiden University and Royal NIVRA  and with the assistance of an international Steering Council comprised of scholars, practitioners and academics from around the world, the ADI assists in monitoring country progress as it relates to a country’s financial sector enabling environment. Leveraging Public Private Partnerships with representatives from over 40 professional accountancy associations world-wide, the ADI’s broad reach and application allows donor agencies, government officials, regulators, academics and professional accountancy associations the ability to understand a country’s current position and progress over time as it works to implement financial sector international standards and best practices, helps to identify strategic imperatives for technical assistance activities, and aids in the analysis of impact and outcomes of financial sector reform initiatives. 

 

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The Global Financial Crisis PDF Print
In September 2008, the USAID Benchmarking International Standards of Transparency and Accountability (BISTA) Project, with its focus on the transparency and accountability of the financial sector, found new relevance as the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis burgeoned into a full blown global financial crisis. The failures of large US financial institutions resonated throughout the global financial markets resulting in currency deflation and a decline in commerce world-wide. The fallout of this crisis has been a global liquidity problem and the de-leveraging of financial institutions especially in the United States and Europe, which has exacerbated economic challenges.  Although the effects of this crisis have been widespread, those hardest hit have been the economies of developing and transition countries.  

 

Against this challenging backdrop, the BISTA Project has been working to enhance the financial sectors of transition economies across Europe & Eurasia (EE). The BISTA Project aims to accelerate the implementation of harmonized international standards, close compliance gaps, and fosters global and regional alliances and the transfer of best practices to countries in the EE Region. 

 

For relevant guidance on the Global Financial Crisis please see the following website provided by IFAC:

http://www.ifac.org/financial-crisis 

 
ADI Steering Council Meeting 2009 PDF Print
amsterdam_cousinmarcin 018.jpgThe BISTA Project held its Accountancy Development Index (ADI) Steering Council meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands this January 20-21, 2009. Among the topics of discussion was the addition of Ms. Weiyi Shi as the BISTA Project statistician, major statistical issues surrounding the structure of the ADI as well as selections of countries for responding to the ADI. At the close of the meeting, the Steering Council reviewed the finalized the ADI Questionnaire and approved it for distribution. The ADI will be distributed to respondents over the coming weeks and should be yielding results shortly.
 
Practical Audit ExperienceTraining (PAET) Pilot Programs Conclude Successfully! PDF Print

 

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 USAID in collaboration with Royal NIVRA, CARANA Corporation and Public Private Partners Ernst and Young and Deloitte. of the Netherlands, successfully delivered trainings on the practical aspects of conducting financial audits as part of the BISTA Project's initiative to develop a Practical Audit Experience Training (PAET) Manual. Trainers traveled to Pristina, Kosovo; Tirana, Albania; and Chisinau, Moldova to work with  each country's respective professional accountancy association (SCAAK, IEKA & ACAP) to learn about the auditing environment in each country and to share their knowledge and experience with local auditors. Due to the overwhelming demand, this collaborative group provided instruction to over 150 auditors on such topics as assessing audit risk, determining audit materiality and identifying key assumptions and the practical application of substantive and analytical tests of accounts.