Public sector accountants urged to broaden their skills and knowledge in international standards

Ministry of Finance has intensified training of trainers (ToT) in International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) as the government moves towards implementating the system at local and the national levels.

In 2011, the Government of Malawi adopted the cash basis IPSAS of reporting in 2011 to enhance and improve service delivery in the public accounting sector.

However, because of other challenges, the government has not been able to implement the system at the full throttle.

And in an effort to attain the dream, the Ministry of Finance this week organized training of trainers (ToT) in public sector accounting in readiness for the full implementation of the system by 2026.

The ToT training workshop was organized with financial support from the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) and United Kingdom Aid for International Development (UKAID) through the Local Government Accountability Performance (LGAP) Project.

And speaking when he opened the training, the Director of Finance in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Abel Mwambinga, said the government remains committed to ensuring that the implementation of IPSAS Accrual is done both at the local and central levels.

Mwambinga disclosed that to show that the government s committed towards the implementation of IPSAS, a governance structure has been put in place and two committees constituted to oversee the effectiveness of the system.

“These are the Steering Committee chaired by the Secretary to the Treasury (ST) and the Technical Committee chaired by the Office of the Accountant General. Furthermore, the government approved a roadmap on implementation of accrual IPSAS,” he said.

According to Mwambinga, the government expects to be on full accrual IPSAS by 2026.

He therefore urged the participants to take the training workshop very seriously, stressing that they will be required to train other accounts in the local councils.

Mwambinga said the government expects the participants to deliver the skills and knowledge that they acquired from the ToT training effectively to their fellow accountants in the councils.

“I have already noted the enthusiasm and commitment you have shown by coming to attend this ToT training. IPSAS is here to stay as accountants in the public sector need to be familiar with the system. Accounting is becoming dynamic with growing technologies; hence, you also need to widen your knowledge of IPSAS by reading extensively,” he emphasized.

Mwambinga thanked development partners for providing resources for the training workshop through LGAP Project.

“As government, we cherish the financial and technical support that we receive from our development partners,” he said.

One of the participants, Richard Chakhala of the Blantyre City Council, hailed the ToT training as an important step towards building the skills and knowledge among public sector accountants.

Chakhala pledged to deliver the best to his fellow accountants at the council.

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