Training seminar on OHADA

On December 22, 2022, the Council of Ministers of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) adopted the Uniform Act relating to the Accounting System for Non-profit Entities (SYCEBNL). This Uniform Act, published in OHADA's official gazette on February 22, 2023, complements the Uniform Act on Accounting Law and Financial Reporting AUDCIF.

It has generally been found that not-for-profit entities use their own accounting standards. In most cases, these standards are imposed by head office or donors. As a result, financial and accounting information was difficult to use and harmonize across the various administrations in the area.

Harmonizing the accounting practices of not-for-profit entities requires the implementation of an accounting system that enables their activities to be reflected in appropriate accounting rules in line with the aspirations of OHADA member states.

Le système comptable des entités à but non lucratif est un système d’organisation de l’information financière ayant pour but de présenter les états financiers reflétant l’image fidèle de la situation financière, de la performance et des variations de la situation de trésorerie des entités à but non lucratif afin de répondre aux besoins de l’ensemble des utilisateurs de ces informations.

This new standard comes into force on January 1, 2024. As of this date, all not-for-profit associations, foundations, professional orders, development projects and similar bodies must keep accounts in compliance with SYCEBNL.
Aware of the organizational and technical upheaval that the switch to this new accounting and financial tool will create within organizations, Cabinet Afrique Juridique et Fiscal Conseil AJFC organized a training seminar from November 07 to 09, 2023 at Royal Beach Hôtel, on the theme: "Accounting system for OHADA non-profit entities: legal and accounting obligations and management of the changeover to the new reference system".
This seminar brought together over 100 face-to-face and online participants. Participants included project directors, country representatives, financiers, accountants, operations managers and administrative officers from major international non-profit organizations in Burkina Faso.
The training was provided by:

• Marc Sidoine GOUEM, Managing Partner of AJFC, Specialist in legal and social issues in the OHADA region, Expert in Applied Taxation;
• and Mathias BAZIE, OHADA Expert for training on SYCEBNL. Expert trainer in OHADA accounting law for the OHADA certification program in Burkina Faso. Certified Professor of Economics and Management. Doctorate in Business Administration, UNIDO-UEMOA Financial Expert;
  They were assisted by Mrs ILBOUDO/COMPAORE Jacqueline, Operations Manager of AJFC, specialized in Applied Taxation and in Economics and Management of Organizations and Companies.

This training enabled participants to :

• Discover and master the legal and institutional provisions of the new law;
• Learn about SYCEBNL's accounting and organizational innovations;
• Mastering the changeover to the new repository ;
• Set up a new organizational chart within their organization to manage the new obligations introduced by SYCEBNL;
• Reconciling the requirements of donors or headquarters with those of SYCEBNL ;
• Produce reliable financial and accounting statements that comply with the new law.