Strenghtening the Capacity of the Accountancy Profession The Grant resources would, over a period of about 24 months, finance activities in the following areas: Strengthening the Gambia Association of Accountants (GAA).  In this area, the grant would finance the following activities: 1.  Development of a computerized budgetary control system with procedure manual and a computerized billing/collection system. Technical assistance would be provided to develop a computerized budgetary control system with procedure manual and a computerized billing/collection system.  Two relevant staff of the GAA would be trained to operate and maintain these systems.  These computerized systems would assist the GAA in keeping track of its membership and income and expenditure; thus, giving the GAA the capacity to collect and control funds received from its members, thereby becoming financially self-sustainable. 2.  Development of information data base for the GAA membership.  A Computer Specialist/Trainer and a Procurement Specialist would be provided to develop the information data base and train two relevant staff who would maintain the data base and carry out membership drive as well as fund raising.  The data base would store relevant information, including accounting/auditing and financial management information that would help design services for the GAA membership base. 3.  Reviewing of  the status of the GAA to become an #Institute of Chartered Accountants#.  The status of the GAA would be reviewed by experts in the accountancy profession (Chartered Accountants--consultants) and recommendation made for upgrading the GAA to an #Institute of Chartered Accountants#. 4.  (a) Reviewing of the draft taxation and company law; (b) development of a draft National Accounting and Auditing Standards, laws, and regulations governing the accounting profession; and (c) Finalizing the draft taxation and company law, the NAAS, Professional Codes of Ethics and other relevant laws as well as well as carrying out a Three-day Workshop to review the final draft laws.  A Chartered Accountant and a Corporate Lawyer (consultants) would be provided to review the draft taxation and company law, draft the National Accounting and Auditing Standards (NAAS), and laws and regulations governing the accountancy profession that are in line with internationally accepted standards and practices.  The consultants would also finalize the draft taxation and company law, the NAAS, professional codes of ethics and other laws, following which, a three-day workshop would be conducted by the consultants to review and agree on the final draft of the laws and come up with recommendations for the adoption and use of the laws by the Gambia Accountancy Professional Body (the Institute of Chartered Accountants).  The seminar would include staff of the National Audit Office, GAA members, and lecturers from the local institution.  The laws would regulate the accountancy profession in the country.  It would provide for transparent tax laws that would be appropriate for business environment.  Adoption of the law would minimize tax evasion, and would increase revenue collection for the Government. 5.  Development of a professional accounting and auditing curricula to be integrated into the program of the local institutions.  A Chartered Accountant would be provided to develop a professional accounting and auditing curricula for use by the Gambia Accountancy Professional Body (the Institute of Chartered Accountants).  The curricula would be integrated into the program of the local training institutions.  This would permit an appropriate accounting professional examination scheme and a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) program for the Accountancy Body. Enhancing the Local Training Institutions - In this area, the grant would finance activities as follows: 1.  Reviewing the existing accounting/auditing and financial management program, and integrating into the curricula, appropriate accounting professional examination scheme and a continuing professional education program (CPE).  Technical assistance (TA) would be provided to review and upgrade the existing accounting/auditing and financial management training program in the local institutions; i.e., Management Development Institute (MDI), The Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI), and University Extension Programme (UEP).  The TA would ensure proper integration of the examination scheme and the CPE into the curricula of one of the local institutions.  This would allow for improvement in the quality of professional training in accounting/auditing and financial management; strengthen the training capacity of the local institutions; and set up a standardized accounting and auditing examinations, accredited by internationally renowned institutions. 2.  Training of local lecturers and teachers (Training Trainers) on financial management, accounting and auditing.  A total of 9 teachers/lecturers (3 from each of the local institutions), would be trained locally by a Chartered Accountant for 6 months.  This training would be conducted in two sessions of three months per session on financial management, auditing and accounting, etc. 3.  Upgrading of the existing Library.  A library technician/librarian with knowledge of information technology would be provided to upgrade the existing accountancy library, currently not in use due to lack of information/materials.  It would be organized and developed with a data base of holdings, and basic source materials would also be purchased for the library.  It would have internet connection for wider resource information; and a trainer on Information Technology would provide training to two relevant staff for the internet.  The Government and the GAA will sustain the internet by maintaining and paying Internet Service Provider (ISP) costs.  This library would contain relevant reference materials for use by students, lecturers, teachers and other accountancy professionals in the Gambia.  It would become a #house of accountancy information# for the Gambia. Reinforcing the National Audit Office (NAO) of The Gambia.  In this area, the grant would finance the following activities: 1.  Setting up of a computer system for auditing, and Training NAO staff on systems audit.  A computer-based system of accounting and auditing would be set up by a consultant (Chartered Accountant/Systems Auditor).  This would enhance the existing method of accounting and auditing that currently does not meet the required standard.  About 10 NAO staff would be trained on the system (computer-based accounting and auditing).  This would call for less qualified audits and proper accountability and transparent financial transactions. 2.  Conducting of seminars on taxation and company law.  Two seminars on taxation and company law would be conducted by a Corporate Lawyer and/or Chartered Accountant--about 20 participants would attend each session.  Participants would include NAA staff, staff from other Government agencies, GAA, teachers/lecturers, and students. 3.  Secondment of staff to the National Audit Office in UK.  Two selected NAO staff would be linked, on a secondment basis, with the UK National Audit Office for 6 months for each staff.  The two staff would acquire additional and diverse financial management (accounting and auditing) experience from an institution similar to theirs but highly rich in quality and experience.  This also would enhance the financial management culture of the Gambia NAO.