~epuhlir uf f4r J4ilippines COMMISSION ON AUDIT @unnnanfuealf4 J\Uenue, ®urzau @if1J, J4ilippiues No: CIRCULAR W15-005 ----'-------''""--- Date: jlJI \ 6 2013 TO All Heads of National Government Agencies (NGAs) including State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), GOA Assistant Commissioners, Directors, and Auditors; and All Others Concerned SUBJECT Availability of Web-based Annual Financial Reporting System (AFRS) and Budget and Financial Accountability Reporting System (BFARS) 1.0 BACKGROUND The Commission on Audit (GOA), having been mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution to submit to the President and the Congress within the time fixed by law an annual report covering the financial condition and operation of the Government, its subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities, including governmentowned or controlled corporations, and non-governmental entities subject to its audit, and recommend measures necessary to improve their effectiveness and efficiency, has developed online web-based application systems, the Annual Financial Reporting System (AFRS) and the Budget and Financial Accountability Reporting System (BFARS), to facilitate the efficient submission of annual Financial Statements (FSs) and Budget and Financial Accountability Reports (BFARs) of national government agencies. e development of these two application systems is part of the automation ·~ projec s of the Commission to provide timely and relevant financial and budgetary information to its clientele: the Office of the President, the Congress, oversight agencies, and the public. The use of these systems shall promote transparency on the utilization and management of government funds. The main purpose of the systems is to ensure prompt submission of the reports to this Commission, thru the Government Accountancy Sector (GAS) , by national government agencies, to facilitate faster and more efficient consolidation of financial statements/reports and preparation of the constitutionally-required reports . Through the use of AFRS and BFARS , data are gathered directly from the source and manual interventions are minimized, eliminating user error in the consolidation process. Thus, more efficient, reliable and timely ;rting could fchieved . 1 ' . Important data could be made available for decision makers at the national level, such as budget deliberation. Pursuant to Section 4.3 of GOA Circular No. 2015-002 dated March 9, 2015, agencies are required to submit and upload their financial statements to this Commission through the GOA website (www.coa.gov.ph). 2.0 PURPOSE This Circular is being issued to inform all NGAs including SUCs and theauditors concerned on the availability of the AFRS and BFARS. Agencies are hereby required to use these web-based application systems in submitting their annual FSs and other reports, as well as the quarterly BFARs. Auditors are likewise enjoined to use the AFRS in tagging as "Audited" the FSs/reports submitted by the agencies concerned. 3.0 BASIC FEATURES The AFRS and BFARS are web-based application systems, which consolidate the financial and budgetary information submitted by all NGAs including SUCs into a central database for decision making and other purposes of the oversight agencies. They have the following features: 3.1 AFRS 3.1.; ~litates easier and more efficient submission of the required FSs/ reports, such as: 3.1 .1.1 Pre-closing Trial Balance 3.1 .1.2 Statement of Financial Position 3.1.1.3 Statement of Financial Performance 3.1.1.4 Statement of Changes to Net Assets/Equity 3.1.1.5 Statement of Cash Flows 3.1 .1.6 Statement of Comparison of Budget and Actual Amount 2 3.1.1. 7 Statement of Management Responsibility 3.1.1.8 Statement of Regional Consolidation of Revenue 3.1.1.9 Statement of Regional Consolidation of Expenditure 3.1.1.1 0 Notes to Financial Statements. 3.1.2 Enables the Government Accountancy Office (GAO), GAS, COA to conduct extensive analysis/review of the submitted FSs/reports. 3.1.3 Enables the auditor to tag as 'Audited ' the FSs/reports in the central database. 3.1.4 Facilitates the monitoring by COA of agencies' compliance with the required submission of FSs/reports . ... 3.1 .5 Facilitates consolidation of financial information needed in the preparation of the AFR. 3.1 .6 Provides real-time consolidation of financial information at the national level. 3.1.7 Provides elearning modules/online video tutorials to capacitate the users on how to use the system without undergoing a classroom-type of training. 3.2 BFARS 3.2~cilitates easier and more efficient submission .by NGAs of the following financial accountability reports (FARs) required by COA pursuant to COA-DBM Joint Circular No. 2013-1 dated August 6, 2013: 3.2.1.1 FAR No. 1 -Statement of Appropriations, Allotments, Obligations, Disbursements and Balances (SAAODB) 3.2.1.2 FAR No. 1-A - Statement of Appropriations, Allotments, Obligations, Disbursements and Balances by Object ofExpenditures(SAAODBOE) 3.2.1.3 FAR No. 1-B - List of Allotments and Sub-Allotments (LASA) 3.2 .1.4 FAR No. 2 - Statement of Approved Budget, Utilizations, Disbursements and Balances (SABUDB) 3 ' Jb 3.2.1.5 FAR No. 2-A - Statement of Approved Budget, Utilizations, Disbursements and Balances by Object of Expenditures (SABUDBOE) 3.2.1 .6 FAR No. 3 - Aging Obligations (ADDO) 3.2.1.7 FAR No. 4- Monthly Report of Disbursements 3.2.1.8 FAR No. 5 - Quarterly Report of Revenue and other Receipts of Due and Demandable 3.2.2 Enables the GAS to conduct extensive analysis/review of the submitted FARs. 3.2.3 Facilitates the monitoring by COA of agencies' compliance with the required submission of the FARs. 3.2.4 Provides a central database for monitoring each agency's appropriations, allotments, obligations and disbursements on a quarterly basis, at the national level. 3.2.5 Facilitates the consolidation of financial/budget information needed in the preparation of the required Annual Report on Appropriations, Allotment, Obligations and Disbursements (ARAAOD) 3.2.6 Provides elearning modules/online video tutorials to capacitate the users on how to use the system without undergoing a classroom-type of training . 4.0 MISCEL~US NGAs including SUCs can access the AFRS and BFARS through the link www.gas.coa.govJ2fJ... Alternatively, these systems' banner can be found at COA website www.coa.gov.ph. The GAS, this Commission, shall give access credentials to the different agency users. Agencies shall fillout the Agency Registration Form for AFRS (Annex A) and for BFARS (Annex B) and submit the accomplished forms to the GAS. Online tutorial modules on the use of the systems can be accessed in the COA elearning Portal and/or in the "Utilities" menu of the AFRS and BFARS. 4 5.0 SAVING CLAUSE Any clarification on issues not covered by this Circular may be directed to the Government Accountancy Sector, this Commission. 6.0 EFFECTIVITY This Circular shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from publication in a newspaper of general circulation. JO~ Commissioner {./·':~:.\ COti!MI.$.SION 0~ AUOIT ~~: w.~) OFF ICI O F 11-fl: COMMISSION $ 1Citl tb.RIAT -:.:;::1_:.;; llllllllllllll MIG Chairperson 5 ' . Annex A Commission on Audit Government Accountancy Sector Accounting Systems Development and Other Services Office Technical Assistance and Help Desk Services Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City ONLINE SUBMISSION OF ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORTS AGENCY REGISTRATION FORM Agency Information Department Name: Agency Name: Address: Contact No./s.: User Information Name: *(Preferably the ChiefAccountant or Head ofAccounting Unit) (Last Name, Middle Name, First Name, Name Extension (e.g. Sr.,Jr.)) Employee No.: Email Address: Unit Assigned ·,~ (e.g. Accounting/Admin .: Position/Designation: Recommended By: Approved By: Supervisor/Head of Finance/Administration Office Agency Head Instruction: Please submit accomplished and approved Agency Registration Form to Accounting Systems Development and Other Services Office, Government Accountancy Sector at 4tl' Floor, Main Building, Commission on Audit, Commonwealth Avenue, Q uezon City, or thru email at coa.asdosotahds@gmail.com or thru fax at 93 1-75-77 . ................................................................................................................................................................ Date Assigned: Assigned By: Approved By: TAHDS Staff Chief, TAHDS Annex B Commission on Audit Government Accountancy Sector Accounting Systems Development and Other Services Office Technical Assistance and Help Desk Services Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City ONLINE SUBMISSION OF BUDGET AND FINANCIAL ,ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTS AGENCY REGISTRA TfON FORM Agency Information Department Name: Agency Name: Address: Contact No./s.: User Information Name: *(Preferably the Head ofBudget Unit/Office) (Last Name, Middle Name, First Name, Name Extension (e.g. Sr.,Jr.)) Employee No.: Unit Assigned . . (e.g. Budget/Admin, e~( ' Email Address: Position/Designation: ... Recommended By: Approved By: Supervisor/Head of Finance/Administration Office Agency Head Instruction: Please submit accomplished and approved Agency Registration Form to Accounting Systems Development and Other Services Office, Government Accountancy Sector at 41h Floor, Main Building , Commission on Audit, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, or thru email at coa asdosotahds@gmail.com or thru fax at 931 -75-77 . ................................................................................................................................................................. Registration No. : To be filled up by Commission on Audit: Username: I Date Assigned: Assigned By: TAHDS Staff I Password: I Approved By: Chief, T AHDS