About
Us
LANGUAGE:
English
ESTABLISHMENT
AND FUNCTION
The
Pacific Financial Technical
Assistance Centre in Suva, Fiji
was jointly established in 1993
by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) as the regional
office to implement the Fiscal
and Monetary Management Reform
and Statistical Improvement
Project. In addition to financing
from UNDP and IMF, Phase I of
the project was also funded
by the Asian Development Bank
(AsDB) with a cost-sharing contribution
for training purposes. An initial
three-year Phase II commenced
on April 1, 1996 with funding
by UNDP, IMF (directly and through
the Japan Administered Account),
AsDB, AusAID, New Zealand ODA,
and the Forum Secretariat. In
early 1999, Phase II was extended
through 2001 with funding from
the same donors. In 2001, in
connection with a re-assessment
of its priorities, UNDP decided
to withdraw from the project.
In July 2002, the Centre was
re-constituted as an IMF-executed
project under a Subaccount of
the IMF's Framework Administered
Account for Technical Assistance
Activities with funding from
the IMF, ADB, AusAID, Japan
(through the Japan Administered
Account), and Nzaid.
The
Centre's aim is to build skills
and institutional capacity in
Member countries for effective
economic and financial management
that can be sustained at the
national level. It does this
by providing technical advice
and training in public financial
management, tax administration
and policy, banking regulation
and supervision, and macroeconomic
and financial statistics. Because
of the IMF's expertise in these
areas, it was selected, in consultation
with the governments of the
Pacific Island countries and
the donors supporting the Centre,
as the Executing Agency to ensure
that technical assistance and
measures supported by the Centre
are consistent and meet high
international standards.
MEMBERSHIP
15
Pacific island countries: Cook
Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati,
Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue,
Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa,
Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga,
Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
STRUCTURE
A
team of four resident advisors
under the overall leadership
of a coordinator, and supported
by backstopping from the specialized
technical assistance departments
of the IMF, provides the Centre's
core technical expertise. A
Tripartite Review Committee,
composed of representatives
of the Executing Agency, the
funding agencies, and the participating
governments, exercises overall
guidance, and periodically examines,
the Centre's operational activities.
A
major part of the Centre's advisory
and training activities is carried
out through short-term visits
by the four advisors to Member
countries. These visits, together
with the advisors' long-term
presence in the region, have
contributed to the Centre's
effectiveness by facilitating
sustained assistance through
return visits and a systematic
follow-up on earlier advice
and action. In addition, advisors
regularly provide timely and
effective advice and guidance
through direct communications
from the Centre. These activities
are complemented by the organization
of regional seminars and in-country
workshops, practical training
through attachments of officials
to sister institutions in the
region; and the recruitment
of short-term consultants, including
on a peripatetic basis, to bolster
the advisors' own activities.
The staff also prepares discussion
papers on issues of regional
interest and supports regional
cooperation in a number of areas
of economic and financial management.
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