Corporate and Public Sector Accountability Project (CAPSAP)

Corporate and Public Sector Accountability Project (CAPSAP)

Region: AzerbaijanDuration: 2011 to 2013Budget: USD 24 million (World Bank: USD 14 million; SECO: USD 2.1 million; Government of Azerbaijan: USD 8 million)

• Institutional partner: Chamber of Accounts, Ministry of Finance• Implementing partner: World Bank

The objective of the project is to improve accountability and transparen-cy in managing public spending through strengthening financial report-ing for public authorities and public interest entities in line with interna-tional best practices.

Strengthening accountability and transparency is one of the central challenges the government is currently facing. Public expenditures have risen markedly during the recent years fuelled by strong oil revenues. Accountability and transparency within public authorities and public interest entities however remain weak. There is a strong need to im-prove budget transparency and the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending.

The Government of Azerbaijan and the World Bank launched the Corpo-rate and Public Sector Accountability Project (CAPSAP) to address these issues. CAPSAP consists of three components: i) corporate sector ac-

Project tle

General informa on

Project partners

Project objec ves

Background

Market Opportuni es for Livelihood Improvement (MOLI) in Kakhe

Region: Kakheti (Georgia)Durati on: July 1, 2011 – October 31, 2014Budget: CHF 1’080’000

• Implementi ng partner: HEKS-EPER (Switzerland)• Insti tuti onal partner: Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia, Ministry of

Regional Development and Infrastructure, regional and local authoriti es.

The purpose of the project is to enable the livestock market system to functi on more inclusively for subsistence and semi-subsistence livestock farmers in Kakheti , resulti ng in improved incomes, well-being and resil-ience to livelihood related disaster risks.

The Kakheti region is one of the leading agricultural regions in Georgia and shows high levels of unemployment and poverty. Its populati on relies to a large extent on subsistence agriculture. Some eighty percent of the popu-lati on live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture, supplying Tbilisi and other regions of Georgia with agricultural products. Although women are acti vely involved in farm work, their role is oft en underesti mated and they face diffi culti es in securing land and getti ng access to extension ser-vices, inputs and credits.

Livestock farming in Kakheti is a promising agricultural sector because of its potenti al for further growth, among others owing to the low cost of key

Market Opportuni es for Livelihood Improvement (MOLI) in Kakhe Swiss Cooperation Office

South Caucasus

Project title

Generalinformation

Project partners

Project objectives

Background

The following activities are carried out under the SECO funded project component based on the strategic development plan of the Chamber of Accounts:

• Enhancing legislative framework• Improving enforcement mechanism and methodology on external

audit • Providing on-line connection to the Treasury Information and Man-

agement System• Developing and implementing a training program for the Chamber

of Accounts• Twinning and pilot audit with an experienced peer Supreme Audit

Institution• Supporting annual independent financial and performance audits

The following results are expected:• Functional and transparent public sector external audit and internal

financial control functions• Strengthened capacity of the Chamber of Accounts capable to en-

sure full audit coverage of all public sector bodies• Increased influence of the Chamber of Accounts on the overall state

budget process• More efficient and transparent use of public resources

Project activities

Project results

countability (implementing international accounting standards in public interest entities), ii) public sector accountability (strengthening public internal financial control and Chamber of Accounts) and iii) strengthen-ing accounting, auditing and financial management capacity (creation of Azerbaijan Center for Professional Accounting and Audit Training Educa-tion and Research). SECO funds the component related to strengthening the Chamber of Accounts, Azerbaijan’s Supreme Audit Institution.

inputs (hay and animal feed), good pastures and adequate land for fodder producti on, low pressure on pasture for livestock (0.25 catt le heads per hectare), and relati vely favorable marketi ng opportuniti es due to the vicin-ity to the capital Tbilisi. For the vast majority of rural households with cat-tle in the targeted municipaliti es, livestock farming is the most important contributor to income and food needs.

The project targets the municipaliti es of Sagarejo, Signagi and Dedoplist-skaro, where livestock farming is the main economic acti vity for the major-ity of poor households and has the potenti al to support pro-poor growth. Through bett er access to services, inputs and markets, poor farmers can improve their economic situati on.

The project supports public and private market players of the dairy and meat market systems in Kakheti with two main instruments: 1) co-grant scheme for speci c investments aimed at improving speci c market sys-tem functi ons and incenti vizing assistance by target enterprises to farmers 2) capacity development of relevant markets players so that they deliver bett er services to farmers.

The project works with local governments and support them in the plan-ning and implementati on of disaster management measures at the same ti me facilitates advocacy acti on of local governments towards the nati onal level on such policy issues as taxati on and legal framework for farmers’ cooperati ves and associati ons; implementati on of the food safety law and livestock registrati on and the use of local land and pasture resources.

Some 6’500 households will bene t directly from improved access to services, inputs and markets by the end of the rst phase of the project. The subsistence and semi-subsistence livestock farmers will be able to increase producti on due to improved access to services, inputs and informati on on animal health, breeding and nutriti on. The project will facilitate creati on of more favorable market access and terms of trade for dairy and meat products. As a result of more effi cient producti on and bett er sales opportuniti es, farmers will be able to increase their income by 10 to 20%.

The assistance provided to local and regional governments will aim en-hancement of their capaciti es to promote the inclusive and coherent growth of the agricultural sector which is more resilient to livelihood re-lated disaster risks.

Project ac vi es

Project results

Swiss Cooperation Office South Caucasus

Swiss Cooperati on Offi ce South CaucasusEmbassy of Switzerland

Radiani street 12, 0179 Tbilisi,GeorgiaPhone: (+995 32) 225 36 82 / 83, 222 37 21Fax: (+995 32) 225 36 84E-mail: tbilisi@sdc.netWeb - page: www.swisscoop.ge

Swiss Cooperation Office for the South CaucasusEmbassy of Switzerland

Böyük Qala Street 9, Old City1004 Baku, Azerbaijan Phone: +994 12 437 38 55Fax: +994 12 437 38 56Web: www.swisscoop.az