Kuwait has decided to use the upgraded PEFA testing version, in cooperation with the World Bank and the PEFA Secretariat. His Excellency, Khalifa Hamada, Kuwait’s Undersecretary for Finance said, “We have been examining the PEFA methodology for some time and consider that the upgraded version is most suited to our needs as part of our PFM strengthening initiative. It will also be useful for monitoring progress against our PFM goals.”
Kuwait will be one of the first Arab countries to apply the upgraded framework. It will join a select group of countries from Europe and Central Asia, Africa, South America, South Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands which will use the testing version in 2015.
The Kuwait Government has also decided to sponsor the preparation of the upgraded PEFA Framework document in Standard Arabic language. His Excellency, Khalifa Hamada commented, “In addition to applying the PEFA methodology in our own country, we would like to help people in other Arabic speaking countries to understand and benefit from PEFA.”
The Head of the PEFA Secretariat, Lewis Hawke said, “It is very encouraging to have Kuwait’s support for the upgraded PEFA and we deeply appreciate their generosity in sponsoring the translation. I am sure Kuwait experience with PEFA will be of interest to many countries. Translation of the PEFA testing version will be a very important expansion of our suite of multi-lingual editions. At present we only have official English, French and Spanish language editions. We hope this will also extend awareness of PEFA, and eventually use of the Framework more widely, amongst Arabic speaking countries.”
The Standard Arabic translation of the testing version is expected to be completed and available on the PEFA website by the end of May 2015. If revisions to the document are necessary after finalizing the upgraded Framework, the Arabic version will be amended accordingly.
