By Caroline Nassuuna
Communications Officer, ICPAU
The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) is hosting the second edition of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Conference for Africa from 18 – 20 February 2025 at the Golden Tulip Canaan, Kampala.
Organised by the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA) in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and ICPAU, the conference is a three-day event, featuring a two-day in-depth exploration of PFM and an International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) roundtable.
The aim is to convene key stakeholders in the Africa PFM ecosystem from across the continent to evaluate progress in PFM reforms, share knowledge, and chart a path for enhancing PFM in Africa. These include high-level officials in the Africa PFM ecosystem including leaders of Professional Accountancy Organisations (PAOs), Accountant Generals, Auditor Generals, Members of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and development partners.
"The event is of great significance as it is a crucial platform for advancing important discussions regarding Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms in Africa. These reforms are essential in improving efficiency, transparency and accountability in financial systems across the continent," said CPA Nkajja, Secretary/CEO of ICPAU.
The 2025 conference is based on the theme, Enhancing Public Finance in Africa: Progress and Prospects.
During the opening ceremony, the ICPAU President, CPA Josephine Ossiya noted that ICPAU, as the PAO for Uganda, is equally committed to furthering the continent’s PFM agenda through contributing to PFM policy development, building capacity for International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) implementation in Uganda by supporting the activities of a public sector working group to implement accrual IPSAS in Uganda, and developing a PFM resource centre to increase awareness of the standards and simplify application.
She encouraged public sector accountants on the continent to take an interest in the development of IPSAS.
“I am honoured to take this opportunity to encourage our colleagues in the public sector to pick interest in the international public sector development process. Let us make the African voice loud enough, by offering input in the global standard setting process,” noted CPA Ossiya.
While delivering her opening address, CPA Keto Kayemba, the PAFA President noted that PAFA is deeply committed to strengthening PFM systems, as the continental body representing the accountancy profession, especially through capacity building, collaboration, and advocacy.
According to CPA Kayemba, PAFA’s 2025–2027 strategy, built on the pillars of Effective PAOs, Technical Excellence, and Quality & Mobility, aligns with Africa’s broader developmental objectives, including the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“As we engage in discussions over the next three days, I urge all of us—governments, regulators, legislators, professional accountants and development partners, among other actors to strengthen our collaboration in driving impactful reforms in PFM,” remarked CPA Kayemba.
The keynote speaker and State Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, noted that besides the significant challenges faced by Africa’s public finance systems, we cannot fail to acknowledge the notable steps that have been taken to manage and improve public finance management.
“We are strengthening legal frameworks, adopting digital solutions, improving revenue mobilisation and strengthening public debt management to improve public finance management, working towards sound public finance management, and paving way for a prosperous future,” remarked the Hon. Musasizi.
He further called upon the key public finance management players to commit themselves to reforms that will make public finance systems more resilient, transparent and inclusive to unlock the continent’s vast potential.
Building on the success of the first PFM Conference for Africa held in Kenya in 2024, the 2025 conference is envisaged to contribute to improved public service delivery and sustainable economic growth across Africa by noting significant milestones, exploring recent advancements and identifying emerging opportunities for enhancing transparency, accountability, and efficiency in PFM.
The conference has a number of resource persons in attendance including: Institute of Certified Public Accountants (ICPAU) officials, Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA) officials, Public Value Management (PVM) Technical Advisory Group officials, and the African Union (AU) Director of Finance and Head of Financial Management.
Other knowledge partners include:
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative
African Development Bank (AfDB)
Financial Management Division for Eastern and Southern Regions and Nigeria representatives
Transparency International
African Association of Accountants General (AAAG)
African Organisation of English-speaking Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-E)
African Professionalisation Initiative (API)
Professional Accountancy Organisations (PAOs) in Burkina Faso Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa
Auditors General from South Africa and Uganda
Accountants General
Members of Public Accounts Committees in eSwatini and Malawi
Regulators and public sector accounting standard-setters from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)
International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Capacity Building Committee
END
