RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/357  
18 March 2015  
(15-1571)  Page: 1/4  
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration   
 
  WTO BUDGET AND FINANCE REPORT – 4th QUARTER 2014 
 
1  CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS 
1.1.  The receipts of contributions from Members as at the end of the year 2014 are slightly below 
the level of December 2013. As at the end of  2014, 65% of the Members have no outstanding 
balance. With respect to the assessed amount of CHF 195 million, 94% have been received. 
Figure 1 Total Annual Receipts in MCHF as at 31 December 2014 
 
 
 
1.2.  The receipts of contributions from Observers fo r the end of the year 2014 amounted to some 
CHF 509,000, representing 71% of the assessed  amount. 63% of the Observers have no 
outstanding balance. 
Table 1 Status of contributi ons as at 31 December 2014 
CONTRIBUTIONS 
  160 Members 24 Observers 
Total net assessment for 2014 included new Members   195,428,941   717,940 
Payment received for 2014 (% of total assessment) (94%) 183,854,570 (71%) 509,482 
Payment received for prior years   14,339,153   226,137 
No outstanding balance (% of  total) (65%) 104 (63%) 15 
 
2  CASH SITUATION 
2.1.  The cash situation at the end of the fourth qu arter of 2014 is satisfactory and above the level 
of December 2013. This is mainly due to the high er rate of contributions in advance received in 
December 2014. WT/BFA/W/357 
 
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  Figure 2 Cash Situation as at 31 December 2014 
 
 
 
3  MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS UNDER ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES 
3.1.  On 1st of January 2013, the new Administrative Measures have been introduced, reducing the 
number of categories from four to three. Member s in Category III (three or more full years of 
outstanding contributions) are now considered inactive. 
3.2.  At the end of December 2014, two Members are subject to Category I (more than one, but 
less than two years outstanding) of the new Admini strative Measures, two Members to Category II 
(more than two, but less than three years ou tstanding) and five Members are subject to 
Category III (from three years outstanding = Inac tive). Since the last report in September, 
Tanzania made a payment and came out of Catego ry I, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines settled 
its arrears and came out of Category II, and Si erra Leone made a payment to comply with its 
payment plan and has been taken off the list of Administrative Measures (Category III). 
Table 2 Members and Observers under Administrative Measures as at 31 December 2014 
Cat. I (2) Cat. II (2) Cat. III (5)   
Cameroon Antigua and Barbuda Central African Republic* 
Vanuatu The former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia Dominica  
  Grenada  
    Guinea-Bissau 
    Mauritania*  
 
* Members not compliant with Payment Plan terms. 
3.3.  At the end of the year 2014, one Observer is subject to Category III of the Administrative 
Measures. This means that the accession working groups do not meet anymore and that the WTO 
suspends the request for annual contributions from them. No changes have occurred since the 
September report. 
Table 3 Observers under Administrative  Measures as at 31 December 2014 
Cat. I (0) Cat. II (0) Cat. III (1) 
- - Sao Tomé and Principe 
 WT/BFA/W/357 
 
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  3.4.  As at the end of December, eight Members are subject to a Payment Plan. Since the last 
report in September, Sierra Leone, formerly inactive Member, made a payment in compliance with its Payment Plan. 
Table 4 Members following a Payment Pl an as at 31 December 2014 (in CHF) 
Member Plan 
duration  
in years End of 
plan Last 
payment 
received Amount 
Outstanding 
for 2014 Total Outstanding 
Contributions Advance  
Burundi 20 31/12/2030 18-Apr-13 0 492,164 91,203 
Chad 15 31/12/2026 28-Sep-12 0 861,854 68,762 
Côte d'Ivoire 10 31/12/2019 30-Oct-14 0 357,518 76,902 
Djibouti 10 31/12/2019 12-Feb-14 76,217 310,682 0 
The Gambia 10 31/12/2019 04-Mar-14 15,985 365,144 0 
Niger 15 31/12/2024 04-Feb-14 59,001 528,851 0 
Sierra Leone 15 31/12/2025 16-Oct-14 0 739,297 0 
Togo 5 31/12/2014 16-Sep-14 115,920 115,920 0 
Total       267,123  3,771,430 236,867  
 
3.5.  The two Members indicated in the table below are not compliant with their Payment Plan 
terms. 
Table 5 Members not compliant with Pa yment Plan and therefore back to 
Category III (Inactive) as at  31 December 2014 (in CHF) 
Members Plan 
duration 
in years End of plan Last 
payment 
received Amount 
Outstanding  
for 2012 Amount 
Outstanding 
for 2013 Amount 
Outstanding  
for 2014 
Central African 
Republic 30 31/12/2039 24-Jul-13 0 53,180 55,982 
Mauritania 25 31/12/2034 02-Jan-14 2,049 66,959 66,959 
Total      2,049  120,139 122,941  
 
4  2014 BUDGETARY EXPENDITURE 
Table 6 Consolidated Statement of Budgetary  Expenditure as at 31 December 2014  
(in kCHF) 
Part Section Budget Expenditure Sum of 
Balance % of 
Expenditure 
A Staffing 
Resources 1. Staff Expenditure 131,415 122,280 9,136 93% 
  2. Temporary Assistance 17,167 17,390 -223 101% 
A Staffing Resources Total 148,582  139,670  8,912 94%  
B Other 
Resources 3. General Services 15,801 12,944 2,857 82% 
  4. Travel & Hospitality 7,481 5,970 1,511 80% 
  5. Implementing Partners 273 200 73 73% 
  6. Capital Expenditure 2,967 1,661 1,305 56% 
  7. Financial Expenditure 1,230 1,224 6 100% 
B Other Resources Total 27,751  21,999  5,752 79%  
C Operating 
Funds and ITC 8. Contributions to ITC & 
Special Reserves 20,870 20,870 0 100% 
C Operating Funds and ITC Total 20,870  20,870  0 100%  
Grand Total 197,204  182,540  14,664 93%  
4.1.  The provisional overall expenditure at the en d of 2014 amounts to some CHF 183 million or 
93% of the total budget. The closure of the ye ar 2014 is not yet completely finalised and the 
figures have not yet been audited. This budgetary saving is projected to result in a negative 
financial result, after consideration of the service costs actuarially estimated for the pension and ASHI benefits, which are estimated to be in the area of CHF 37 million for 2014. WT/BFA/W/357 
 
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  Part A - Staffing Resources 
4.2.  Part A of the budget comprises expenditure for re gular staff related to salary, pension, health 
insurance, death and invalidity insurance, staff be nefits and expenditure related to travel, removal 
and installation. It also includes expenditure related to short term staff, consultants, panellists and 
Appellate Body Member fees. 
4.3.  The saving under salaries for regular staff is mainly due to the high number of vacant posts 
during the year, on average 41 vacant posts, thereof 5 Director posts. These posts are now in the 
process of being filled. Under Temporary Assistan ce, an overspending has been generated under 
short term staff, and is mainly linked to the dispute settlement divisions as well as the replacement of staff on leave without pay and on long  term sick leave. This overspending is nearly 
offset by savings under translation and interpretation as well as under consultants. The saving on 
translation is largely due to the fact that the major part of the dispute settlement reports will only 
be ready for translation during 2015. 
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 financial expenditure. 
4.5.  Under General Services, the major part of the saving has been generated under the security 
outsourcing contract due to the establishment of the security perimeter. Additional savings could 
be realized under supplies, telecommunication, postage and electricity. 
4.6.  Under Section Travel and Hospitality, the saving under travel expenditure largely relates to 
less costly travel linked to technical assistance activities as well as to the better use of funds 
allocated for travel by divisions. This also applies to the saving under hospitality. 
4.7.  The Section 'Capital Expenditure' includes the procurement of fixed assets such as computing 
hardware and software, office furniture and security equipment. The saving is mainly due to re-
negotiated rates for rental and leasing of equipment in the area of document reproduction, as well 
as a saving under security equipment following the renovation project. 
4.8.  The Section 'Financial Expenditure' includes the reimbursement for the 50-year interest-free 
loan for the new premises of CHF 1.2 million, which has been paid at the end of the year. This 
Section also includes the bank charges for the WTO bank operations. 
Part C - Operating Funds and ITC 4.9.  Part C of the budget relates to the contributions to the International Trade Centre as well as 
the two operating funds. 
4.10.  Under Part C, the Appellate Body Operating Fund (CHF 1.8 million) and the Ministerial 
Operating Fund (CHF 0.6 million) have been replenished. The contribution for the ITC has been 
booked for the whole year. 
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