SHARJAH, 11th August, 2022 (WAM) — The Board of Trustees of the Sharjah Award for Public Finance – the first of its kind in the Arab world – has announced the launch of the second cycle of the award, organised by the Sharjah Finance Department (SFD), in cooperation with the Arab Organisation for Administrative Development.
This comes after the award was suspended for four years due to the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19. This year’s award features 17 different institutional and individual categories, technical and organisational participation conditions, and the award nomination criteria.
The awards were announced during a press conference held by the Board of Trustees in the presence of media professionals and partners in the Theatre Hall at the headquarters of the SFD on Thursday, 11th August, 2022. Salem Yousef Al Qaseer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Dr. Nasser Al Hatlan Al Qahtani, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, General Director, Arab Organisation for Administrative Development (ARADO); and Waleed Al Sayegh, Director-General of SFD and Member of the Award’s Board of Trustees, attended the press conference.
Al Qaseer expressed his pride in launching the new cycle of the award, which aims to strengthen and enable the success and sustainability of the financial sector in Arab countries by evaluating the level of commitment to standards and requirements of excellence in government financial work by institutions and individuals.
He underscored that the objectives of the award are in line with the directives of the Government of Sharjah under the leadership of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to enable and combine efforts to develop individuals’ skills, experiences, cultures, and creative abilities through creating value in businesses.
He added that this would lead to an economy that works to build an integrated nation with awareness and knowledge to achieve the sustainability and welfare of society.
Dr. Al Qahtani explained the role of the award in bringing about development and improvement in the concepts of public finance in the Arab world, and enabling policies and strategies related to public finance, praising Sharjah Executive Council Resolution No. (16) for 2022, regarding forming the Board of Trustees of the Sharjah Award for Public Finance.
He expressed his appreciation for the re-assignment of ARADO, in coordination with SFD, to carry out the technical management tasks of the award in its new session and to implement marketing and promotion work throughout the Arab world.
He also indicated that within the award’s development plan, the number of participation categories increased to 17, including nine institutional categories and eight individual categories, with the expansion of the list of targeted candidates from Arab countries and institutions, as well as the development of the award guide terms and conditions and standards, to be more compatible with the current financial and economic changes.
Sheikh Rashid bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Secretary-General of Sharjah Public Finance Award, clarified the list of institutional categories in which participation and nomination can be made, which include the distinguished authority in public finance, the distinguished entity in electronic financial systems and applications, the distinguished entity in the management of financial projects, the distinguished entity in financial innovation, and the distinguished entity in the management of cash and sovereign funds, the distinguished authority in supervision, auditing and financial risk management, the distinguished authority in providing financial services, the distinguished authority in financial banking services, and the distinguished authority in the management of pension/social security funds.
On the level of individual categories, Sheikh Rashid mentioned that they are represented by the distinguished Arab financial manager, the distinguished Arab budget manager, the distinguished Arab tax manager, the distinguished Arab accounts manager, the distinguished Arab electronic financial systems manager, the distinguished Arab procurement and contracts manager, the distinguished Arab financial controller, and the distinguished Arab financial accountant.