Until 2023, associations, NGOs and projects adapted SYSCOHADA to their needs, each in its own way. The Uniform Act adopted in Niamey in December 2022 put an end to that: SYCEBNL has applied since 1 January 2024 throughout the OHADA zone.
Who is concerned
The text covers associations, professional orders and similar entities, as well as development projects. NGOs and foundations fall within its scope. The smallest organisations may keep simplified accounts; the others apply the normal system.
What changes
SYCEBNL brings a chart of accounts and financial statements designed for organisations that do not seek profit. Funding received, its allocation and its use are tracked explicitly: the reader must be able to tie each resource to the use made of it.
Annual accounts, in addition to donor reports
The financial reports given to each donor do not replace the entity’s financial statements. The two must reconcile: cost accounting by donor and by project makes it possible to produce both from the same entries.
Where to start
A diagnosis compares current practice with the framework. Then come the chart of accounts and software configuration, the opening balances, the update of the procedures manual and the training of the accounting team. The first set of financial statements is best prepared before year end, not after.
And the audit?
Above certain size thresholds, the appointment of a statutory auditor becomes mandatory. Donors, for their part, continue to require their own audits under their terms of reference: it is better to coordinate the timetables.
General insight. The obligations that apply depend on the legal form and the size of your organisation.