Meeting on the Task Force on Harmonization of Public Sector Accounting

Fifth Meeting
Wednesday, March 8–10, 2006
OECD, 2 rue André-Pascal, room Franqueville
Paris 16ème, France

The international Task Force on Harmonization of Public Sector Accounting (TFHPSA) works at enhancing the harmonization between statistical guidelines and accounting standards, and at updating statistical guidelines for the public sector. The TFHPSA was created in 2003 and is the first formal initiative at the international level that attempts to harmonize statistical guidelines and accounting. It is also recognized as the forum to provide guidance in the area of public sector statistics for the forthcoming update of the System of National Accounts 1993 (1993 SNA).

The Task Force, which is chaired by the IMF, operates on the basis of two working groups (WGs). WGI focuses on harmonization of statistical and accounting standards and is chaired by the International Federation of Accountants-Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IFAC-IPSASB); and WGII focuses on inputs to the update of the 1993 SNA and is chaired by the OECD, that also acts as secretariat. The task force membership includes national statisticians and public sector accountants, and international agencies (European Central Bank, Eurostat, International Monetary Fund, IFAC-IPSASB, OECD, and World Bank).

The March 8-10, 2006 meeting of the Task Force is being sponsored by the Statistics Department of the IMF. It is the fifth meeting of the Task Force, following that held in October 2005 at IMF Headquarters in Washington, DC. The intent of the meeting is first to take stock of the presentation to the July 2005 Advisory Expert Group of the System of National Accounts (SNA) with the work program since the last meeting. To this end, it will first review the work of WGI. Then it will review the work done by three of the five teams of WGII and then review the work of the two other teams for the update of the 1993 SNA. Finally, it will also review the new Chapter on Government and Public Sectors to be included in the updated version of the 1993 SNA. The agenda of the meeting is available below.

The discussions and decisions reached during the meeting will be communicated to the 2006 Advisory Expert Group in charge of the update of the 1993 SNA, as well as the IFAC-IPSASB.

Participation in the March 2006 meetings is by invitation only. To become member of the TFHPSA and have access to all the documentation, please contact Jean-Pierre.Dupuis@oecd.org.

The section of the website relating to this Task Force on Harmonization of Public Sector Accounting conference contains papers and web links to papers that will be considered at the conference. The views expressed in these papers are those of the authors only, and the presence of them, or of links to them, on the IMF website does not imply that the IMF, its Executive Board, or its management endorses or shares the views expressed in the papers.

Date and time Topic Documents Discussion Leader
Working Group I (WG I) March 8, 2006
Wednesday, March 8
9:15 a.m. Coffee
9:30 a.m. Opening Remarks: Welcome   IMF / OECD
9:40 a.m. Draft Final Report of the TFHPSA Task Force on Harmonization of Public Sector Accounting—Final Report Lucie Laliberté/
Paul Sutcliffe/
Jean-Pierre Dupuis
10:00 a.m. Update since the
October 2005 TFHPSA meeting
Minutes of the October 3–6, 2005 meeting Lucie Laliberté
10:15 a.m. Coffee
10:45 a.m. Working Group I Update on IPSASB work program Paul Sutcliffe
    Update on responses to ED 28 "Disclosure of Financial Information about the General Government Sector IPSASB ED 28-GGS"

IPSASB Media Release ED 27 and ED 28

Additional Comments and Statement Of Financial Performance on ED 28
 
    Ongoing role of WG I

Arrangements for liaison between statistical community and IPSASB

(a) TFHPSA relationship to IMF/OECD Observer on IPSASB

(b) WG1 role in responding to IPSASB and IASB exposure drafts

(c) Mechanisms for TFHPSA to provide input to IPSASB at project development stage.

Need and mechanisms for liaison with the IASB.
Lucie Laliberté
12:30 p.m. Lunch
Working Group II (WG II) March 8, 2006
Wednesday, March 8
2:00 p.m. Licenses and Permits   Jean-Pierre Dupuis/
Sagé De Clerck
2:45 p.m. Chapter on the general government and public sectors The General Government and Public Sectors
Jean-Pierre Dupuis/ John Pitzer
3:30 p.m. Coffee
4:00 p.m. Chapter on government and public sectors (continued) Delineation issues (continued)  
5:00 p.m. Summary of discussions   Lucie Laliberté/
Jean-Pierre Dupuis
Thursday, March 9
9:15 a.m. Coffee
9:30 a.m. Chapter on general government and public sector (continued) Delineation issues (continued), taxes, guarantees Jean-Pierre Dupuis/ John Pitzer
10:45 a.m. Coffee
11:00 a.m. Chapter on general government and public sectors (continued) Taxes, guarantees (continued)  
12:30 p.m. Lunch
2:00 p.m. Chapter on general government and government sectors (continued) Reinvested earnings (two approaches)  
3:30 p.m. Coffee
4:00 p.m. Government liabilities Recording of Government Liabilities Keith Dublin
5:00 p.m. Summary of discussions   Jean-Pierre Dupuis/ Lucie Laliberté
Friday, March 10
9:15 a.m. Coffee
9:30 a.m. Chapter on general government and government sectors (continued) Public finance presentation Jean-Pierre Dupuis/ John Pitzer
10:45 a.m. Coffee
11:00 a.m. Chapter on general government and government sectors (continued) Pension obligations Jean-Pierre Dupuis/ Lucie Laliberté
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Summary of discussions and Way forward   Lucie Laliberté/ Jean-Pierre Dupuis/ Paul Sutcliffe
3:30 p.m. Closing   Lucie Laliberté/Jean-Pierre Dupuis/ Paul Sutcliffe

Background material:

Short-term Report of the Advisory Expert Group on National Accounts, January/February/March 2006 meeting