Caritas India finance personnel reoriented on legal compliances

Regulations in finance are constantly evolving. Personnel working in finance, especially in the NGO sector need to undergo adequate training to learn, apply, and adhere to industry compliances.

Caritas India finance personnel from across the country were brought together to refresh their understanding on current legal compliance. The training was organized at Udaipur, Rajasthan from 16th-18th March at Maitri Sadan.

Good financial management is a prerequisite for organizational sustainability. It impacts the decision-making and ensures uniformity across the organisation in complying with the standard and the financial policies of the Organisation. Proper Financial Management adds value to the overall planning and management of an organization.

Fr Sushil Modi, Administrator of Caritas India explained the purpose of the training with all 23 personnel. followed by detailed sessions on Legal Compliances taken by the administrative finance lead Mr. Bobby Koshy and program finance lead Ms. Jancy Mathew. The session dealt with topics like legal compliance under TDS/ Importance of Cash transaction/ Cash Withdrawal & Legal compliance, FCRA updates, BRS / Impresst/ Advances settlement, Procurement process on various grounds, and Gaps/delays are avoided in Procurement processes.

Executive Director of Caritas India, Fr (Dr.) Paul Moonjely joined the team and challenged them to step up and move out of their comfort zone and provide a strong foundation for the organisation. It includes adherence to the organizational policies and detailing stakeholders’ perspectives i.e. Community, Partners, Caritas India, and Donors. He also hosted an open discussion and responded to the doubts raised by the team. The session was very helpful in enhancing the organization’s perspective.

A separate training session was conducted to develop an understanding of reporting procedures (Caritas Confederation donors, CSR funding etc.), Field and HO level challenges, some important audit observations lead by the program finance team. The sessions included group activity and open discussion. The training concluded with Fr. Sushil’s address by laying out the importance of this training and the cross-learning gained through this opportunity.