Sharjah Public Finance Award hosts seminar, workshops in Amman

The opening ceremony of the event was attended by His Excellency Sameh Qasim Nasser, chairman of the Civil Service and Public Administration Commission in Jordan, Dr. Nasser Al Hatlan Al Qahtani, Director-General of the ARAD and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees; His Excellency Sheikh Rashid bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Director of SFD and Secretary General of the Award. Also present were His Excellency Dr. Azzam Ermeili, Advisor to the Organization and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Award, Hassan Basha, Award Advisor, and a group of representatives from relevant authorities in public financial management, quality, and excellence, as well as several experts and specialists in the field of public finance.

Stimulating Sustainability and Leadership in the Government Financial Sector Across the Arab World
The agenda of the event, held at the Rotana Hotel in Amman, included an opening session, two introductory sessions, and three training workshops. His Excellency Sameh Qasim Nasser, began the opening session with a speech emphasizing the importance of cooperation and partnership among government entities in the Arab world to enable such quality awards in the financial sector to stimulate sustainability and leadership in government financial sectors across the Arab world. He praised the role of the Award since its inception in enhancing performance and financial innovation in government entities in Arab countries, highlighting the need for increased efforts, ideas, and resources to achieve optimal success for institutions and individuals working in this vital sector that supports national economies.

Establishing High-Performance Indicators to Manage the Financial Sector According to Desired Goals
In his remarks, His Excellency Dr. Nasser Al-Qahtani explained that the Board of Trustees of the Award considers the importance of continuous development in the award's categories and standards, as well as in its accompanying awareness and training programs. This development aims to elevate and advance government financial operations and establish high-performance indicators that manage the financial sector according to desired objectives in terms of efficiency, governance, and sustainability. He expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, represented by the Public Service and Administrative Authority, for its effective role in supporting and facilitating the organisation of the third edition of the introductory seminar and training workshops for the Award.

Establishing a Sustainable and Diverse Economy Based on Innovation and Knowledge
His Excellency Sheikh Rashid bin Saqr Al-Qasimi discussed the Sharjah Award for Public Finance, which is the first of its kind in the Arab world. He noted that the Award's objectives align with the directives of the wise leadership in the Emirate of Sharjah, led by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, towards establishing a sustainable and diverse economy based on innovation and knowledge, capable of attracting businesses and capital. Since its launch in 2016, the Award has been working to spread the culture, concepts, and practices of distinguished government financial work at the institutional and individual levels, encouraging commitment to financial performance standards and requirements.

He emphasised that the Award represents an open invitation for all Arab institutions and entities to adopt the best financial practices and work to enhance cooperation for a better financial future as part of our strategy to enhance financial performance in the Arab region, in line with national and regional development goals. His Excellency noted that the new edition of the Award introduces six new institutional and individual categories, bringing the total to 22 categories, comprising 11 institutional and 11 individual categories.

During the first session of the introductory seminar, Dr. Azzam Ermeili presented the goals of the Award, along with its institutional and individual categories, and explained the evaluation criteria for these categories. In the second introductory session, he provided attendees with information about the participation conditions, registration mechanism, and participation methods, before opening the floor for questions and inquiries from those interested in participating.

Implementing Performance-Based Budgeting Systems by Linking Budgets to Defined Development Goals
The first training workshop, presented by Dr. Mashhoor Muharram, discussed modern trends in preparing public budgets, emphasizing the commitment to increased transparency and flexibility, with a focus on achieving sustainable development. He addressed the application of performance-based budgeting systems by linking budgets to pre-defined development goals, noting the growing reliance on financial technologies and modern technologies in preparing these budgets, which enhances data accuracy and expediting sound decision-making. Additionally, he highlighted the expansion of community participation in this regard. He indicated that some countries focus on improving public spending efficiency and reducing deficits by restructuring expenditures and directing them toward priority sectors.

The second and third training workshops were held today (Thursday), with the second workshop addressing the analysis of fundamental elements in expenditure management, while the third workshop focused on the analysis of fundamental elements in revenue management.