Accounting Systems

As microfinance matures, increasing numbers of microfinance institutions (MFIs) are offering multiple products to their customers. Much of this product proliferation derives from two related trends: a keen interest in making microfinance services more responsive to the needs of the poor and increased competition in certain key markets. At the same time, however, the costs of microfinance remain high, and relatively few MFIs, conduct detailed operational cost analyses to understand the structure, and causes of their costs, whether at the branch, product, or client level. This type of information can help MFI managers streamline processes and reduce costs. This tool outlines two methods for determining the administrative cost structure of individual microfinance products. Once product costs are determined, the tool suggests methods for understanding how, and why costs are incurred for a specific product, and, how the product contributes (or not) to the overall financial viability of t...

Corporate governance means the overall driving of the entire organization byaccepting all internal components, which work together, which eventually will be integrated in themanagement, and implemented to the risk management within the organization and financialmanagement system and internal control, including internal audit. At this time of globalization andharmonization, the accounting profession acts for the image that it deserves, fulfilling a criticalrole. Harmonization, convergence of accounting systems in service, currently must be made by themost trained professionals, under conditions of total transparency. Presently, the global economy,the influx of investment and cross-border operations in particular of the large enterprise groupsexert a strong influence on the accounting profession.

Although the money transfers market offers tantalizing opportunities for financial service providers, the risks can be high. This technical guide helps delineate when offering transfers is of interest to financial service providers. It helps them determine what strategy, products, and institutional structure are needed to support a successful money transfer operation. This guide is primarily written for use by financial service providers such as Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and other institutions that serve low-income clients. MFIs are defined as financial cooperatives, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), specialized financial institutions, non bank financial institutions, savings and postal banks, and others. The guide seeks to help with the launch of new money transfer services or improve existing ones.

This report identifies feasible near and medium-term measures that could be introduced to improve fiscal transparency. It will be difficult to achieve all of the requirements of the minimum standard of transparency in Vietnam over the next five years. The approach that has been taken, therefore, is to focus initially on a critical subset of these requirements. Even within this subset, it is necessary to identify a series of steps that are compatible with the Vietnamese current environment, but which should lead to a more extensive achievement of fiscal transparency over the longer term.

This study summarizes the findings of three assessments of Central Medical Store (CMS) reform and performance in Francophone Africa. The study aims to document and characterize the organizational reform of the CMSs and the impact of the reform on CMS management and performance in Cameroon, Burkina and Senegal. It seeks further to assess the extent to which increased autonomy brought about by such 'marketizing' reforms has had an impact on intermediate CMS results, service quality, product quality, and access to medicines. The findings indicate that organizational reform did contribute towards improving operational performance which, in turn, influenced service quality, product quality, and access to CMS-supplied medicine in these countries. However, improvements in these areas were premised not simply on increased autonomy, but on a whole variety of drivers, both internal and external to a CMS. These include a strong regulatory framework, the conventions, laws, regulations, ...