The meeting of the Executive Bureau of the International Association of Treasury Services (AIST) took place on June 2, 2020 in the format of a video conference. This meeting was initiated by the Head of the State Treasury Service of Ukraine Tetiana Sliuz, who was elected as President of the Association in 2019. The meeting was necessary because the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus infection COVID-19 has made significant adjustments to the work plan of AIST for the current year.
The event, chaired by Tetiana Sliuz, was attended by representatives of the General Secretariat of the Association: Abdesamad Kasimi, Christel Volpi, led by Secretary-General Jean-Marc Niel, and members of the AIST Executive Committee: Adèle Lieber (France), Bafétégué Sanogo (Ivory Coast), Ihaja Ranjalahy (Madagascar), Aïcha Yacoub Ahmed (Mauritania), Noureddine Bensouda (Morocco), Papa Sidi Ndoye and Amadou Birahim Guye (Senegal), Ekpao Adjabo (Togo), Huyen Vu (Vietnam).
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has already been detected in all the above countries, so each delegate informed his foreign colleagues about the situation in his country.
In accordance with the agenda, the members of the AIST Executive Bureau shared their experience of establishing work in the budget sphere in the conditions of quarantine. The speakers unanimously stated that the current situation is a real test for the society and economy of each country, as budgets are short of revenues, and the cost of supporting businesses and people who have become unemployed has increased significantly. The only positive point that is worth noting is the dynamic development of labor organization, as new forms of work and communication are introduced, thanks to which the treasuries continues to perform its functions in a timely and high quality manner, even in such difficult conditions.
Subsequently, the members of the AIST Executive Bureau discussed the issues of financial support of the Association, focusing separately on revenues and expenditures.
An important issue on the agenda was the coordination of positions on the future work plan of the Association, taking into account the challenges of today. AIST events, such as seminars and meetings of the Executive Bureau, were unanimously decided to be held in video format by the end of 2020. Similarly, a meeting of the General Assembly will be held in September 2020 with the participation of the full Association (29 member countries of Europe, Asia and Africa). During the meeting, which will be prepared by Ukraine based on its experience, participants will work on the development of accounting and innovation in the field of information technology. The annual symposium will take place in Kyiv, but in 2021, given the warnings about the future state of affairs in the world with the spread of coronavirus infection.