Government Finance and Public Sector Debt Statistics (Bhutan)
Target Audience
Officials (source data providers, compilers, auditors, and intensive users) from Bhutan's Central or Thromde Governments, who would benefit from gaining new, or refreshing existing, knowledge of the concepts, principles, sources, and methods used to compile GFS and PSDS.
Qualifications
Participants are expected to possess a degree in accounting, economics, or a related field and/or have relevant work experience, engage in regular compilation or use of Bhutan's GFS or PSDS. Also, participants should have proficiency with Microsoft EXCEL.
Course Description
This course offers an opportunity to learn the concepts, principles, sources, methods, accounting rules, and general framework used to compile GFS and PSDS. The fundamental features of GFS and PSDS will be covered: institutional units; sectorization; basis of reporting; transactions; other economic flows; accounts (revenue, expense, expenditure, assets, liabilities); statements; and balance sheet. The course is taught using international standards presented in the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014) and the Public Sector Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users 2011 (PSDS Guide). Course participants, especially GFS compilers, will be asked to discuss the status of GFS/PSDS development in Bhutan at the Thromde and Central Government levels. To the extent possible, the course will feature applied components that are based on the Bhutan experience. Participants' questions/concerns will be invited and entertained throughout.
Course Objectives
A primary objective of this course is to familiarize participants with fundamental aspects of the GFSM 2014/PSDS Guide frameworks. This is expected to result in an agreed abbreviated GFSM 2014-based reporting framework for Thromdes to provide annual data to MoF. Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:
- Discuss general and specific aspects of the GFS and PSDS frameworks as embodied in the GFSM 2014 and the PSDS Guide.
- Describe the institutional structure of the Bhutan government in the context of the broader public sector by applying GFS rules for the sectorization of institutional units.
- Classify common Thromde-level operational transactions (Revenue, Expense, Net acquisition of nonfinancial assets, Net acquisition of financial assets, Net incurrence of liabilities), other economic flows, and stock positions in assets and liabilities data.
- Derive basic GFSM 2014 statements and tables from Thromde level source data that support MoF efforts aimed at compiling consolidated general government.
- Understand the GFS consolidation process that will be applied by MoF using the data compiled at the Thromde level.
- Identify key differences between the GFSM 2014 and the current Bhutanese presentation of fiscal data.
