Other Financial Accountability Study
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Publication
Strengthening Public Financial Management Reform in Pacific Island Countries
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-08-04)The Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Center (PFTAC) produced ‘A Public Financial Management Roadmap for Forum Island Countries’ (“The Roadmap”) in 2009 (PFTAC 2010). This document was adopted at the Forum Economic Ministers’ Meeting (FEMM) of the Pacific Island Forum as an agreed approach to Public Financial Management (PFM) reform in Forum Island Countries. The document established the need for regular Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessments and the development of PFM reform plans for Pacific countries based on PEFA assessments and other inputs. Based on international experience, the document concluded that PFM reforms in Pacific countries should, among other things: i) reflect country priorities; ii) take account of country constraints, including capacity constraints; and iii) have strong country ownership and take political dimensions into account.Five years on from the adoption of the Roadmap, this report examines experiences of PFM reform in two Pacific island countries in order to inform future improvements.This report does not assess current PFM systems in case study countries. Rather, it provides an analysis of previous experiences with PFM reforms, focusing on the research period 2010-2014. PFM problems identified in this report may have since been resolved. The recommendations of the Roadmap reflect that capacity constraints are a defining feature of government in Pacific island countries.There is a growing consensus regarding the importance of prioritization in Pacific PFM reform.Building on the recommendations of the Roadmap, this report draws on recent literature regarding ‘problem-driven approaches’ to further inform analysis of and recommendations for prioritization of PFM reforms. This report represents the conclusions of joint work between the World Bank, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Overseas Development Institute. -
Publication
Strengthening Oversight: Improving the Quality of Statutory Audits in the Philippines
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-05)Since 2003, the Philippines have been striving to implement reforms aimed at improving audit quality. Oversight of the audit profession is a key control over the financial reporting architecture of a country’s private sector. A Quality Assurance Review system over audit practitioners is a subset of oversight which serves as a key monitoring control over the integrity of financial reporting. In keeping with the country’s strategic priority of boosting private sector development by improving the investment climate for firms of all sizes, including greater access to finance, legislation was enacted to support the objective of increasing the integrity of private sector financial reporting through improved audit quality. Accordingly, the Board of Accountancy was mandated with the power to conduct oversight into the quality of audits of financial statements through a review of the quality control measures instituted by auditors in order to ensure compliance with the accounting and auditing standards and practices. . However, the injunction remains in place and, accordingly, implementation of the mandated Quality Assurance Review Program may not move forward. Several concrete steps should be taken in order to effectively move forward with the rollout of a comprehensive system of public oversight including audit quality assurance in the Philippines. These include (1) reforming the legal framework to establish an effective audit oversight system with sufficient legal power and authority (2) rationalizing the statutory audit threshold to minimize the conditions contributing to low quality audits, (3) building support among key stakeholder groups by properly addressing their concerns to the extent possible, (4) ensuring coordination of efforts among regulators to eliminate gaps and overlaps and foster collaboration among the group, and (5) establishing a dedicated Project Management Office to oversee the rollout of a Quality Assurance Review Program over audit practitioners. -
Publication
Republic of the Philippines Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection in the Banking Sector: Volume 2. Comparison with Good Practices
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-11)The Philippines has made an impressive progress in consumer protection in the banking sector, as shown by the wide range of laws and of regulatory instruments, their active use and enforcement, and by provision of complaint resolution services. The 2013 Global Survey on Financial Consumer Protection indicated that the Philippines compares well with the other economies and yet there is space for further strengthening of the financial consumer protection framework. In order to improve access to financial services, their usage and quality, and further deepen the financial sector, the Philippines has to design and implement a sound financial consumer protection regime with prudential regulation and supervision. This World Bank’s Diagnostic Review was undertaken in response to a request from the Bangko Sentral ng Philipinas (BSP). It provides a detailed assessment of the consumer protection framework in the banking sector, with a particular focus on debit and credit products provided by BSP regulated banks. The review addresses the following areas: 1. Institutional Arrangements, 2. Legal and Regulatory Framework, 3. Transparency and Disclosure, 4. Business Practices, 5. Complaints Handling and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms, and 6. Consumer Awareness and Financial Literacy. Volume I summarizes the key findings and recommendations and Volume II provides comparison with the World Bank`s Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection. -
Publication
Mongolia Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy: Volume 1. Key Findings and Recommendations
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-12)The Mongolian economy has grown very rapidly following the discovery of significant mineral deposits. Large investments in the mining sector have led to increased capital inflows, resulting in cheap external funding for banks and rapid credit expansion. Loans to households increased at the staggering pace of 80 percent from 2010 to 2011, despite Mongolia’s history of banking crises. Loans to Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have increased by some 65 percent in the same year. Although over 78 percent of adult Mongolians have accounts at formal financial institutions and over 61 percent have debit cards - far exceeding the average in the East Asia and Pacific region - in many respects the legal and regulatory framework and enforcement have not kept pace with the expansion of lending. Some important segments of the financial sector, such as securities and insurance, are still lagging due to low consumer awareness and low levels of savings. A number of reforms have been introduced to expand the financial services market but it is clear that consumer protection and financial literacy need to be addressed in a more systematic way. This World Bank’s diagnostic review provides a detailed assessment of the institutional, legal, and regulatory framework in three segments of the financial sector: banking, securities, and insurance. Volume I summarizes the key findings and recommendations of the review and volume II presents a detailed assessment of each financial segment compared to the good practices for financial consumer protection. -
Publication
Philippines - Discussion Notes : Challenges and Options for 2010 and Beyond
(World Bank, 2011-06-09)With the global economy on the way to recovery from the financial crisis, the Asian economies appear poised to bounce back strongly. For most people in the Philippines, however, a return to the status quo ante will offer little consolation. That is because when economic growth accelerated during 2002-08, poverty did not decline as hoped. With a third of the population currently below the poverty line, and high and rising inequality in incomes, the country's main development challenge is to achieve growth that is much more widely shared to make growth work for the poor. Making growth work for the poor in the Philippines is a significant development challenge, but one that is worth pursuing vigorously. The new administration not only has the mandate but the historic opportunity to deliver on this goal as well as other election platforms on which it was voted to power. These include 'the organized and widely-shared rapid expansion of the economy through a government dedicated to honing and mobilizing the people's skills and energies as well as the responsible harnessing of natural resources; moving to well-considered programs that build capacity and create opportunity among the poor and the marginalized in the country; policies that create conditions conducive to the growth and competitiveness of private businesses, big, medium and small; and making education the central strategy for investing in people, reducing poverty and building national competitiveness.' In addition, the new administration is committed to fight corruption. These goals are fully echoed in the strategy and policy actions identified above and elaborated in the accompanying discussion notes.