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Dr Okere

Business Reporter
A top World Bank strategist on Africa, Dr Edward Olowo Okere will headline a cast of international accountants, businessman and academics to address a conference convened to brainstorm on establishing a solid foundation for the country’s economic prosperity.

Among the cast is the executive director, strategy and chief operating officer of the International Federation of Accountants and a board member of the International Accounting Standard Board.

Dr Okere is the chief strategy officer for the World Bank’s new Governance Global Practice. In that capacity, he is leading the GGP’s regional strategy office to, among other things, guide the design and implementation of strategies for the bank’s engagement on governance issues in client countries all over the world, and ensure integrated and effective responses to clients’ needs.

His office is also responsible for the development of World Bank’s integrated governance products. Dr Okere was previously the director of operations services, and regional manager for financial management in the Africa region of the bank.

For almost a decade, he led the bank’s policy dialogues with and technical assistance to clients on public financial management, private sector accounting and auditing, operational financial management, public procurement and monitoring and evaluation in Africa.

Also, Dr Okere represented the World Bank on several regional financial management organisations in Africa and the Professional Accountancy Organisations Development Committee of IFAC for many years.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa will open the conference while the Minister of Industry and Commerce Mike Bimha will also be on the programme.

The two-day conference slated for April 9-10 is being hosted by the Public Accountants and Auditors Board under the theme; “Laying the Foundations for Success”.

Dr Okere will speak on Good Governance in the Public and Corporate Sectors: A Foundation to Economic Development, Poverty Alleviation and shared Prosperity.

The Head of fiscal Policy and Investment Promotion in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Desire Sibanda, will speak on Zimbabwe’s Competitiveness: Laying the Foundation for Action for Zimbabwe to be competitive again.

Ms Alta Prinsloo, executive director, strategy and chief operating officer- IFAC will address the conference of Public Sector Finance Management Reform: Expectations Redefined.

The public sector accounting landscape is poised for transformation with the upcoming shift by Government from cash-based accounting to accrual-based accounting, thus driving convergence with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards.

The changeover is expected to heighten public sector governance, accountability and transparency by enabling Government agencies and ministries to report their finances more accurately.

The move is not only positive for fiscal discipline, but will enhance local and global investor and stakeholder confidence in the Zimbabwe government and its sovereign ratings and financial instruments.

Other notable speakers include Mr John Chikura chief executive officer of the Deposit Protection Board who will speak on: Limiting the Risk of Failure in Financial Institutions.

The chief financial officer of TA Holdings, Mr Bothwell Nyajeka will speak on: Effective Presentation of Financial and Non Financial information: What investors look for in a set of financial statements.