Relationships Matter: Georgia GFA Moves Forward.

• Author: Khosruashvili, David
• Position: GFOA INTERNATIONAL - Association of Finance Officers of Local Self-Governing Units of Georgia

GFOA values its relationships with members, and with our partner organizations. Attending GFOA conferences provides an excellent opportunity to meet with other members and to strengthen state and provincial relationships. And one of the unique features of GFOA's annual conference is the many international delegates in attendance.

One of GFOA's valued international relationships, with the country of Georgia, began in 2006. (GFOA has affiliation agreements with public finance associations in other countries as well, including Israel, Sweden, and South Africa.) The next step was forming the Association of Finance Officers of Local Self-Governing Units of Georgia (GFA) in 2007, under the leadership of David Khosruashvili, the association president and chairman. Since then, 99 percent of Georgia's municipalities and 50 member organizations (municipality established legal entities) have become GFA members.

GFA has also established a collaboration agreement with Georgia's State Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance, solidifying its role in the government's Public Finance Management Reform Agenda. According to the memorandum, GFA is working on the implementation of new accounting standards for the public sector in municipalities, collaborating with Treasury and the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure. GFA has been recognized as the government's partner organization in implementing the reforms.

GFOA past presidents Tim Grewe and Ken Rust also helped lead the way in establishing a formal affiliation agreement between GFOA and GFA, signed in 2009.

Georgia is a small country located in Eastern Europe, sharing borders with Russia to the north, and Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the south and east. Georgia is a developing country that has faced many challenges head on, with the assistance of GFOA and others.

Khosruashvili invited GFOA to attend the 2022 Association of Finance Officers of Local Self-Governing Units of Georgia conference, and GFOA President Terri Velasquez attended. The two-day conference was co-hosted by Poland Aid. More than 300 people attended, including 67 mayors. Day one focused on "Successful Local Self Government: Challenges and Solutions,"...