RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/ 570 
7 September  2021 
(21-6644) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration   
 
  
WTO BUDGET AND FINANCE REPORT – 2ND QUARTER 20 21 
1  CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS  
1.1.  Members ' contributions received  as at the end of the first semester  2021 are at a higher  level 
than in previous years . This is mostly due some  Members  having paid part of their 2020 contribution s 
in early 2021.  
1.2.  At the end of June 2021, 48% of the Members had no outstanding balance. With respect to the 
assessed amount of CHF 195 .5 million, 66% has been received.  That is, CHF 128.4 million. Of the 
total amount of CHF 145.3 million reflected as having been received in 2021  in Figure 1 below , 
CHF 16.9 million was attributed to prior year contributions that had been outstanding.  
Figure 1 Total Annual Receipts  of Member Contributions  (current year and previous year)  
in MCHF as at 30 June  2021 
 
1.3.  The receipts of contributions from Observers during the first two quarters of 2021 amounted 
to CHF  281,159  representing 38% of the assessed amount.  8 Observers had no outstanding balance.  
Table 1 Status of contributions as at 30 June  2021 (in CHF)  
Contributions  164 Members  25 Observers  
Total net assessment for 2021   195,500,000   733,125  
Payment received for 2021 (% of total assessment)  (66%)  128,386,058  (38%)  281,159  
Payment received for prior years   16,937,836   58,453  
No outstanding balance (% of total)  (48%)  79 (32%)  8 
 
2  CASH SITUATION  
2.1.  The cash situation at the end of June 2021 is satisfactory and at a higher  level than at the end 
of June 2020.  
 
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  Figure 2 Cash Situation as at 30 June  2021 
 
 
3  MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS UNDER ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  
3.1.  At the end of the first quarter of 2021, seven  Members were subject to  Category I (more than 
one, but less than two years outstanding  contributions ) of the Administrative Measures ; 
two Member s were subject to Category II (more than two, but less than three years outstanding  
contributions ); and nine Members were subject to Category  III (three  or more years of outstanding  
contributions  = Inactive) . 
3.2.  Since the end of March, five Members (Argentina, Bolivia, Côte d 'Ivoire, Indonesia and Togo) 
have settled their arrears and were removed from Category I. Furthermore, Sierra Leone made a 
payment in line with its payment plan and was taken off from Category III.  
Table 2 Members under Administrative Measures as at 30 June  2021 
Cat. I (7)  Cat. II (2)  Cat. III (9)   
Belize  Cuba Antigua and Barbuda  
Djibouti  Guinea  Burundi*   
Gabon    Central African Republic*  
Mauritania    Chad*   
Papua New Guinea    Congo   
Suriname    Democratic Republic of the Congo  
Yemen    Guinea -Bissau*  
    Senegal   
    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of  
*  Members not compliant with Payment Plan terms.  
3.3.  At the end of June 2021, five Observer s were subject to Category I of the Administrative 
Measures ; one Observer was subject to Category II ; and three  Observer s were subject to 
Category  III (Inactive) . No changes have occurred since the March report.  
Table 3 Observers under Administrative Measures as at 30 June  2021 
Cat. I (5)  Cat. II (1)  Cat. III (3)  
Comoros  Syrian Arab Republic  Libya   
Iran   Sao Tomé and Principe  
Iraq   Somalia   
Lebanese Republic       
Sudan       
 
3.4.  Table 4 shows the Member s subject to a Payment Plan  as at 30 June 2021. 
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  Table 4 Members following a Payment Plan as at 30 June  2021 (in CHF)  
Member  GC 
approval 
year Plan 
duration  
in years  End of 
plan Last 
payment  
received  Outstanding  
for 2021  Total Outstan - 
ding 
Contributions  
Niger  2020 7 2026 16-Feb-21 1,624  247,814  
Sierra Leone  2012 15 2025 12-Apr-21 3,184  261,351  
Total          4,808  509,165  
 
3.5.  The four Members listed  in the table below are not compliant with their Payment Plan terms  
and have thus reverted to Category III of the Administrative Measures.  
Table 5 Members not compliant with their Payment Plan  as at 30 June  2021 (in CHF)  
Member  GC 
approval 
year  End 
of 
plan Last 
payment  
received  Outstan -
ding prior 
to 2018  Outstan -
ding 
for 2018  Outstan -
ding 
for 2019  Outstan -
ding 
for 2020  Outstan -
ding 
for 2021  Total 
Outstan -
ding 
Contribu -
tions  
Burundi  2011 2030 2017 405,116  65,785  65,785  65,785  65,785  668,256  
Central 
African 
Republic  2018 2047 2020 760,798  -  2,584  57,472  57,472  878,326  
Chad 2012 2026 2020 387,759  -  -  116,651  116,651  621,061  
Guinea -
Bissau  2017 2046 2017 559,899  51,716  51,716  51,716  51,716  766,763  
Total   
    2,113,572  117,501  120,085  291,624  291,624  2,934,406  
 
4  2021 BUDGETARY EXPENDITURE  
Table 6 Consolidated Statement of Budgetary Expenditure  as at 30 June  2021 (in kCHF)  
Part Line Budget  Expenditure  
30 June 
2021  Balance  % Expenditure  
A Staffing Resources  1. Staff Expenditure  131,565  59,346  72,219  45% 
  2. Temporary 
Assistance  17,275  10,344  6,931  60% 
A Staffing Resources Total  148,840  69,690  79,150  47%  
B Other Resources  3. General Services  15,826  5,372  10,454  34% 
  4. Travel & 
Hospitality  8,207  282 7,924  3% 
  5. Implementing 
Partners  213 48 165 23% 
  6. Capital 
Expenditure  2,895  1,380  1,514  48% 
  7. Financial 
Expenditure  1,780  1,657  123 93% 
B Other Resources Total   28,921  8,740  20,181  30%  
C Operating Funds 
and ITC  8. Contributions to 
ITC & Special 
Reserves  19,443  10,322  9,122  53% 
C Operating Funds and ITC Total  19,443  10,322  9,122  53%  
Grand Total    197,204  88,751  108,453  45%  
4.1.  The expenditure as at the end of the first two quarters 2021 is on track with an overall 
expenditure rate of 45% or CHF 89 million.  The expenditure  rate is still impacted by the COVID -19 
pandemic.  
Part A - Staffing Resources  
4.2.  Part A of the budget comprises expenditure for regular staff related to salary, pension, health 
insurance, death and invalidity insurance, staff benefits , travel, removal and installation. It also 
includes expenditure related to short term staff, consultan ts and panelists .  WT/BFA/W/ 570 
 
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  4.3.  Under Staff Expenditure, the slight underspending is due to a high number of vacant posts at 
the beginning of the year. This is partly offset by over -expenditure under Annual Leave and Travel 
& Removal, as well as expenditure on Short -term Staff and Consultants for various IT projects.  
Part B - Other Resources  
4.4.  Part B of the budget relates to expenditure for general services, travel and hospitality, activities 
jointly funded by the WTO and third parties, as well as capital and fina ncial expenditure.  
4.5.  Under General Services , the lower expenditure rate mainly relates to under -expenditure on 
postal charges, electricity, water and gas, as well as office supplies and printing and publications. 
This is mainly explained by the impact of the  COVID -19 pandemic.  
4.6.  Under the Section "Travel and Hospitality ", the overall expenditure rate at the end of June only 
amounts to 3% due to the COVID -19 pandemic.  
4.7.  The Section "Capital Expenditure " includes the procurement of fixed assets such as computing 
hardware and software, office furniture and audio -visual and security equipment.  The expenditure 
under this Section  is mainly related to the cost for various software licenses and computing software 
for virtual meetings (CHF 0.5 million), the update of part of the audio -visual equipment 
(CHF 0.3 million), the purchase of computing hardware (CHF  0.2 million) and the purchase of 
reproduction equipment (CHF  0.2 million)  in addition to the regular expenditure under those items . 
4.8.  The Section "Financial Expenditure " includes the annual reimbursement of the 50 -year interest -
free loan for the new premises , amounting to  CHF 1.2 million, which has been  paid at the beginning 
of June . This Section  also includes bank charges and negative interest . 
Part C - Operating Funds and ITC  
4.9.  Part C of the budget relates to the contributions to the International Trade Centre (ITC) as well 
as the two Operating Funds.  These are the Ministerial Conference Operating Fund and the Building 
Renovation Fund.  
4.10.   Under Part C, the Ministerial Conference Operating Fund (CHF 0.6 million) and the Building 
Renovation Fund ( CHF 0.6 million ) have been replenished. The contribution for the ITC has been 
booked until the end of June. 
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