Company Profile Basaer International Consulting (BIC): Economic & Fiscal Intelligence Company WWW.BicConsultJo.com 2015-1 -
Message of the Chairman It is my great pleasure to announce the establishment of Basaer International Consulting (BIC) Company for economic and fiscal intelligence in 2015. Allow me to emphasize that BIC will constitute a qualitative addition to the consulting industry in Jordan and Arab countries. I hope that Basaer will be one of the leading companies in this industry at both local and regional level. This emphasis is soundly grounded on the wide practical experiences and the high scientific qualifications of BIC founders, as well as on a distinguished galaxy of supporting experts with deep and diverse professional experience. This will enable Basaer to realize its vision and strategic objectives. BIC is also distinct from other competing companies in providing its unique consulting services in the fields of public budget reform, public financial management (PFM), economic reforms, as well as in the economic feasibility studies, tax and investment consulting, and finally translation, training & capacity building for different institutions. The broad services of our Company will cover the needs of public and private sectors, the civil sector, NGOs, as well as regional and international donors in Jordan and Arab countries. Allow me to emphasize that Basaer is fully committed to provide its customers distinctive and applicable services that help them achieving success through in-depth and tailor-made solutions, taking into best international practices. Finally, we look forward to see Basaer realizing the highest standards of customer and partner satisfaction, and to be an effective asset in alleviating challenges facing Jordanian and - 2 -
Arab institutions and economies towards reaching prosperity and excellence. Allah is the grantor of success. Dr. Mohammad Abu Hammour - 3 -
BIC in Brief Basaer International Consulting (BIC) is a pioneer Jordanian company specializing in economic, fiscal, and management intelligence and training. It provides professional, high-quality, consulting services to its customers in Arab countries for the private, public, and non-profit sectors as well as for international and regional donors. BIC is distinct from other competing Arab companies in its scope, focus, and team capabilities. BIC combines diverse expertise in various economic, fiscal, tax, and banking areas with a unique and hands-on experience in executing public financial management (PFM) reforms and modernization initiatives. In particular, BIC has unique capabilities and special focus on designing and implementing Resultsoriented Budgeting (ROB) according to best international practices and from a strategic perspective. The BIC Company conducts, among other services, feasibility studies for all types of projects in various economic sectors, in addition to tax advisory services. The Company also provides training and translation in economic and fiscal areas. In short, BIC Company offers its specialized expertise for private sector development, public sector modernization, and donor project implementation. This would - 4 - ROB is considered the main innovative approach and the key analytical tool to upgrade Public Financial Management (PFM) in particular, as well as meeting the requirements of good governance and improving public sector productivity in general. This modern approach to public budgeting is based on establishing strong linkages between expenditures on activities of ministries and government bodies and the outcomes of these public expenditures. This mechanism is monitored through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) at all levels to realize the efficiency and effectiveness of government spending and thereby maximizing its value to society and achieving development goals and national priorities. )
contribute towards the objective of improving operational and strategic performance, and strengthening budgets of private firms and public institutions as well as improving donor effectiveness in the Arab countries. BIC Company has been established in 2015 as a limited liability company, and has been registered at the Ministry of Industry and Trade under No. 41378. The BIC Headquarter is located in Amman-Jordan. Why Our Company BIC competitive advantages and competences are not only confined to synergistically combining economic and fiscal intelligence for both private and public sectors, but also exceed that to the followings: BIC customized solutions and recommendations are derived from in-depth, case-by-case, study of the problem environment. No one size fits all solutions! BIC proposed policies and solutions are highly actionable, and far away from imitation and generalization. BIC expert team enjoys high-level qualifications, wide and hands-on experience in Jordan and Arab Gulf region, as well as bilingual, Arabic-English, language. Our Vision BIC vision is to become one of the leading companies in economic and fiscal innovative consulting services as well as training and translation in the Arab counties. - 5 -
Our Mission The BIC Company seeks to attain ample satisfaction of all its clients in private, public, non-profit organizations, as well as international and regional donors working in Arab countries. The Company would achieve this mission through providing integrated economic and fiscal solutions and advices that are doable, non-conventional, more sustainable, and with proper mix of quality and cost. This would be reflected in: Reinforcing the investment climate and business environment, improving private sector productivity, and evaluating projects and initiatives supporting business sector growth and performance. Improving the position of government budget and enhancing public expenditure efficiency through executing most up-to-date economic and fiscal models implemented in developed countries, taking into account local conditions and peculiarities. Enabling international and regional donors to achieve key objectives of their development programs & projects in the Arab countries. Our Values Innovation, excellence and high quality assurance. Integrity, honesty, and abiding to time frames. Continuous monitoring and internal evaluation of services and performance. Commitment to good governance and social responsibility. Exceeding the expectations of our clients. - 6 -
Our Services & Specialty First: Services provided to the Private Sector and Non- Government Organizations (NGOs): Conducting feasibility studies for all types of projects in various economic sectors, taking project risks and uncertainty into account. Providing tax consulting services, including for income tax, sales tax, and customs duties. Undertaking analytical sectoral studies, including legislation, policy, and performance reviews in all economic activities, such as industry, renewable energy, and tourism. Studies and reviews will be conducted according to best international practices with the aim of accelerating sustainable private-sector-led growth. Conducting competitiveness analysis for industries and clusters (both commodity- and services-oriented). Arranging specialized training programs and courses with a view to building the capacities of private sector and civil institutions, including chambers of industry and trade, as well as for various professional associations. - 7 -
Providing investment consulting services to private sector corporations. Conducting banking studies for domestic and regional commercial banks. Offering high-quality technical translation services in economic, financial and banking fields. Second: Services provided to the Public Sector: Providing innovative consulting services in the fields of policy reforms, economic growth and economic competitiveness, and strategic planning. Providing robust advice in the areas of economic governance policy, public sector reform, and improving government performance. Offering specialized, hands-on, advisory services in the fields of public financial management modernization and government fiscal reforms. These services cover both phases of project design and project implementation, and aim at supporting transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector, enhancing - 8 - Empowering Arab Economies through Reforming Public Budgets In contrast to the traditional budget management which considers the public budget as merely a statement of expected revenues and allocated expenditures for a country in a given year, the modern concept of the public budget focuses on effective execution of government policies, programs, and initiatives, such as Youth Employment and Child Protection. The modern approach to budgeting considers the public budget as a development and a strategic planning instrument that represents the government's plan for the coming year to achieve national objectives within a medium-term fiscal framework. The modern budget also reaffirms a number of principles: accountability, transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, and fiscal sustainability. In more details, the new public budget concentrates on spending outcome and its development results within controlled fiscal ceilings and overall targeted budget deficit.
better allocation of public resources, as well as strengthening fiscal stability and sustainability at the macro level. Implementing best international practices in building and developing better structures and outcomes of public budgets, such as Results-oriented Budgeting (ROB), to maximize the value of public financial allocations by means of minimum costs and maximum efficiency and effectiveness. In this regard, BIC has the full capabilities to practically formulate, implement, and monitor & evaluate up-to-date or totally new concepts and models of Results-oriented budgeting (ROB), such as Youth Employment-responsive Budgeting (YERB), Childresponsive Budgeting (CRB), and Gender-responsive Budgeting (GRB), as well as other budgeting models responding to national priorities and evolving challenges in Arab countries. Designing, developing and executing programs and projects supporting the effective implementation of Results-oriented Budgeting (ROB) models, such as Medium-term Fiscal Framework (MTFF), Medium-term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Key-Performance Indicators (KPIs), Public Expenditure Reviews (PERs) in terms of structure, impact and sustainability, as well as preparing and providing training on conducting regular and in-depth policy and progress reports, such as Budget Policies and Priorities Statements. Providing advice on diagnosing and improving the investment climate and business environment, including those aiming at improving SME performance and policies. - 9 -
Arranging specialized training programs and courses with a view to building the capacities of government institutions concerned with economic and fiscal affairs as well as with institutions implementing reform projects and programs. Third: Services provided to International and Regional Donors: Cooperating and contributing to the execution of economic, fiscal and tax reform projects and programs implemented by foreign donors for the interest of Arab countries, with a view to enhancing macroeconomic stability and levels of economic development. These include programs on fiscal reforms, national competitiveness, community development, and developing industry and services sectors. Conducting training programs and courses for the staff of government institutions concerned with implementing adopted reforms within projects financed by international and regional donors. Our Core Team Founders of Basaer Company comprise a team of experts, some of them held high government positions in economic and fiscal decision-making. They own wide and deep hands-on experience in the fields of macroeconomic management, including fiscal and monetary policies, fiscal reform and public budget modernization, as well as strategic planning in both macro and sectoral level. Besides that, the Company delivers economic feasibility studies, tax consultation, training and capacity building. In addition to - 11 -
Company partners, Basaer cooperates with a galaxy of experts and external consultants. The Founder team consists of the following experts: Dr. Mohammad Abu Hammour: Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Mohammad Abu Hammour held several high government positions in Jordan, most notably Minister of Industry and Trade (2003), Minister of Finance (2003-2005 and 2009-2011), and Chairman of the Executive Privatization Commission (2005-2007). Currently, he is the Secretary General of the Arab Thought Forum. Dr. Abu Hammour also occupies the position of Chairman or Member of the Board in a number of Jordanian entities and companies, mainly: Head of the Public Finance Policy Team at the Economic Policy Development Forum established by Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Group; Chairman of the Board of Trustees in Al-Quds College; and Member of the Board in both Arab Bank-Tunisia and Orange Jordan Telecom, among others. Dr. Abu Hammour has worked at the Central Bank of Jordan, where he promoted until he was seconded as Advisor of the Minister of Finance, and then he held the position of Secretary General at the Ministry of Finance in 2000. He served as Chairman of the Board in many Jordanian institutions and corporations, such as Arab Potash - 11 -
Company; Irbid District Electricity Company; Free Zones Corporation; Jordan Industrial Estates Corporation; and Jordan Investment Board. Dr. Abu Hammour acquired his PhD in Economics/ Public Finance from the University of Surrey in the UK in 1997. He conducted many studies during his early career, including: a study on Measuring Taxable Capacity and Tax Effort in Jordan; a paper on Attracting Foreign Direct Investments in Jordan; and a study on Global Financial Crisis and its Repercussions on Arab Economies and Capital Markets. Key achievements of Dr. Abu Hammour during his career path in Jordan are the notable contribution in financial management modernization efforts and the implementation of several government fiscal reform programs and initiatives. Dr. Ismail Zaghloul: Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Ismail Zaghloul held a number of important government positions in Jordan, namely: Director General of the General Budget Department (2007-2013) and Director of Studies and Economic Policies Directorate at the Ministry of Finance. Dr. Zaghloul occupied the position of Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Samra Electric Power Company. Dr. Zaghloul worked at the Central Bank of Jordan in 1980, where he was promoted until he served as General Supervisor at the Research and Studies Department. In - 12 -
2001, he was seconded to the Ministry of Finance. He also occupied the positions of Director General at Addustour Newspaper; Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jordan-Dubai Islamic Bank; Executive Director at the Islamic Development Bank/ Jeddah in KSA; and Economic Expert at the Central Bank of Qatar 1985-1992. He also occupied as Member of the Board in a number of Jordanian and Arab institutions, most notably: Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation; Agricultural Credit Corporation; Water Authority; Jordan Valley Authority; and Islamic Bank of Yemen for Finance and Investment. Dr. Zaghloul has acquired his PhD in Finance in Amman Arab University in 2003. He wrote many studies and publications, most important: Monetary Policy in Jordan; Fiscal Policy in the Kingdom; Tax Burden in Jordan; "Energy Economics in Jordan: Reality and outlook"; and Corporate Social Responsibility, besides many other studies, including economic feasibility studies. Prominent achievements of Dr. Zaghloul during his career are: Developing the work approach, strategy and operations of the General Budget Department in the Kingdom, particularly the implementation of Results-oriented Budgeting (ROB) for the first time in Jordan, enabling the Kingdom to be the first country in the region in this regard. Dr. Jamal Al-Homsi Dr. Jamal Al-Homsi owns 18 years experience in research, consulting and training in both economic and fiscal spheres. His professional experience was at leading policy - 13 -
institutions in Jordan's public sector, namely: the Central Bank of Jordan, Ministry of Finance and the General Budget Department, as well as in Kuwait's public sector within the Public Authority for Industry. He also served at the international consulting organization DAI. Dr. Al-Homsi's practical experience focuses on fiscal strategy & reforms, investment promotion, competitiveness upgrading, formulation of development and sectoral policy, as well as designing industrial strategies. He worked at the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) since 1992, where he was promoted to the positions of Senior Economist and Assistant Executive Director at CBJ Research Department. He was seconded as Economic and Financial Advisor to the Minister of Finance during the period 2003-2008. Dr. Al-Homsi served also as Senior Policy and Program Analyst at DAI within Jordan's Fiscal Reform Project II, and as Economic Expert at Public Authority for Industry, before he becomes Founder of Basaer International Company. Dr. Al-Homsi has gained his PhD in Economics/ Global Competitiveness at Leicester University in the UK in 2002. He wrote many studies and publications, most important: a book on Interest Margin in Jordan's Banking Market; a study on Assessing Global Competitiveness of Jordan s Manufacturing Sector; and a paper on Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Jordanian Manufacturing Sector, besides many published articles and unpublished studies. - 14 -
Mr. Harith Daradkah Mr. Harith Daradkah possesses wide and practical experience exceeding 30 years, mostly in administration and marketing, and especially in the General Budget Department and in the media sector. His last position was the Administrative Director at the Jordanian Addustour Newspaper. Mr. Daradkah has participated and arranged many specialized training courses inside and outside the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, particularly in Malaysia, Germany, Morocco, Finland, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates. - 15 -