Arup Kumar Pal

Experience

• 

  MABS & J Partners, Chartered Accountants

  Jul 2009 - Dec 2009

  Assistant Manager (Audit)

  • Act as a team leader of a continuous management audit of a Telecom Company (authorized distributor of Nokia cell phone) ;• Develop automated monthly financial reporting system using MS Excel software;• Supervise and build capacities of six articled students for preparation of monthly management reports within a tight deadline; • Identify lack of organizational duty matrix and inform management to resolve the issue on weekly basis;• Contribute to establish an effective Internal Control System through identifying the gaps to the Company's existing system;• Finalize monthly management report and submit to Senior Partner of the CA firm before sending to the company’s management; • Checking and analyzing regular transactions of the company to ensure accuracy and authorization. Show less

• 

  Caritas Bangladesh

  Jan 2010 - Dec 2012

  • Primarily responsible for ensuring donor compliance of European Commission funded SHARE Project (a EURO 10 million, six years duration, non-formal basic education project directly implemented by Caritas throughout Bangladesh);• Preparation of voucher (hard copy), checking of bills, invoices, GRN, Log book, requisition etc before payment of bills. Made entry into Tally ERP-9 Accounting Software and regular monitoring of other users (project accountants);• Allocation of yearly budget, transfer of fund, collection of financial reports, budget monitoring of six regional offices within Bangladesh;• Preparation of Audit ToR, financial report and compilation of management response for expenditure verification report by the Chartered Accountants firm;• Preparation of fund request, reconciliation of financial report with programme activities before submitted to EC;• Preparation of periodic financial statement of other donors such as AECID, DFID, KHF, CordAid etc;• Preparation of financial statement for NGOAB (FD4, FD6 & FD2) to meet the Government regulations;• Preparation of budget during the formulation of project proposal;• Scrutiny of yearly budget for submission to the Audit and Budget sub-committee, the Executive Board and the General Body for budget approval;• Prepare Consolidated Financial Statement of National, Regional and Project Offices;• Deal with income tax matters of Caritas national office staffs;• Prepare Debit/Credit Note for Regions/Projects and make necessary adjustments;• Preparation of monthly Bank Reconciliation Statements;• Maintain Fixed Asset Register, Stock Registers and Log Books. Show less • Develop final settlement package for retrenched (about 500 staffs), retired and resigned staff using MS Excel software;• Settlement of 400 retrenched staffs’ dues within four months using solely developed software;• Disbursement of Cheque, issue of debit/credit note to other Caritas offices, update regular posting of settled staff and regular monthly contribution (both staff and Caritas part) into Tally ERP-9 Accounting Software;• Payment of Provident Fund Loan to staff members following Caritas PF rules;• Written off Gratuity and Provident fund at the time of final settlement following Caritas GF & PF rules;• Calculation of staff gratuity, annual leave and provident fund, healthcare, insurance and compensation scheme on half yearly basis about 2,500 staff; • Maintain Cash Book, different registers, monthly bank reconciliation and preparation of yearly budget of 14 (fourteen) fund accounts;• Preparation of budget and periodic financial reports for Donors and NGOAB;• Provide support on Donor Audits and yearly Organizational audit by external auditors;• Fund Management - Issuance of acknowledgement receipts against all foreign fund received by Caritas Bangladesh, prepared receipt vouchers and support on record them in ERP system;• In-charge of Treasury functions on different occasions - manage all banking transactions, cash dealings, settlement of staff advance and other payments, deposit treasury challans and cash to Bangladesh Bank against VAT and Tax deducted as source. Show less • Visit 20 (twenty) field offices under Rajshahi and Rangur division in Bangladesh to check monthly accounts, stock registers, bank accounts, cash in hand, bills, vouchers, fixed assets registers, vehicles log books and reconcile individual member's passbook with the registers;• Visit some selected members house to confirm the loan disbursement process;• Visit banks to ensure current bank balance as per book vs. physical balance at bank (Identify some misappropriation cases with appropriate administrative actions);• Prepared periodical audit reports on visited unit offices identifying the problems and suggest measures in order to overcome such problems;• Monitor budget of unit offices including forecasting annual revenue;• Monitor unit based cash-flow projection on monthly basis;• Conduct compliance visits at project offices in Dhaka. Show less

  • Senior Accounts Officer

    Feb 2012 - Dec 2012

  • Accounts Officer (Employee Benefits including General Fund)

    Jul 2010 - Jan 2012

  • Internal Auditor

    Jan 2010 - Jun 2010
• 

  Plan International

  Dec 2012 - Aug 2023

  • Lead the accounting and finance for Grants, ensuring transformation from managing remediation of grants finance, to high performing global approach.• Enabling the development of funding model and financial sustainability through leading accounting ensuring greater cost recover within grants, tracking quality income, a stronger understanding of the interdependency between grants and sponsorship, ensuring the level of pre-financing is affordable.• Work in close partnership with the Project Management team and provide support to colleagues in country offices and programme units to ensure they are able to fulfil the financial aspects of projects efficiently and effectively.• Close monitoring of Country Offices (implementing COs) and National Organizations (fund raising countries) adherence to business processes and data integrity (Closing Grants, Pre-financing etc…) looking more like remediation than actual performance monitoring.• Leading Plan International Grants part of the Year-end audit. Show less • Contribute to transforming the approach to all the financial aspects of all Plan International's projects (Sponsorship, grants and other funded) ensuring they are well managed, compliant and maximise utilisation of funds to achieve lasting change for children. Work in close partnership with the Global Hub Projects team and will provide support to colleagues in country offices and programme units (in the regions) to ensure they are able to fulfil the financial aspects of projects efficiently and effectively in particular to maintain adherence to Plan International grants finance management standards.• Provides guidance, training and interpretation on Plan International financial policies and processes with regards to grants and sponsorship finance including cost recovery.• Provides guidance and training to Plan offices to enable effective use of financial systems for accounting, budgeting and forecasting with regards to grants and sponsorship - ensuring benefits of YODA implementation are maximised.• Work through a network of Project finance specialists in country offices, regional office and national organisation to ensure knowledge and expertise is cascaded down. Show less • As part of Grants Finance team at HQ, provides guidance and response to Plan Offices queries to help them maintain adherence to Plan International grants finance management standards (dedicated for about 14 Countries in whole Asia Region).• As a key team member of Grants Finance team, maintains the global grants system, delivers monthly, quarterly and year end grants reports and provides advice to all parts of Plan International regarding financial grants management through the financial systems. • This enables effective financial management of Plan International’s global grant portfolio. • Ensure good grant accounting practice and accuracy of financial grants information in a timely manner for the financial period end closes. Show less • To prepare and consolidate country annual budget based on excellent and timely financial data including modification.• Lead the process of preparing and modifying budget for all grants and sponsorship funded projects of Plan International Bangladesh in line with donor’s/Plan’s requirements, Plan cost recovery policy and guidelines, financial standards and ensuring cost efficiency.• To lead and ensure setup of Funding Agreement Documents (FAD) andinsert budget in to grants module of SAP system.• To ensure Plan International Bangladesh has an effective and efficient financialperformance monitoring system that support programme/project and management team to takeinformed decision/ improve implementation.• To ensure Plan International Bangladesh has an efficient financial reporting system thatsupport informed decision making including donor requirement in reporting compliance.• Oversight and development of an excellent and high performing team within thefinance department of the country (manage a 6 members team).• Perform as Acting Director Finance/Head of Finance/Country Finance Manager (CFM) time to time in absence of the post holder. Show less • Responsible for ensuring donor compliances of Institutional and Corporate Donors such as GAC (Former DFATD/CIDA), EC, DFID, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHabitat, DFAT/AusAID, AECID, SIDA, Coca Cola, Margaret A. Cargill Foundation (MAC Foundation), G-Star Foundation, Community Chest of Korea, Hyundai Engineering and Construction, Civil Society in Development (Denmark), TRAID etc.;• Capacity building of partner organizations on finance and administrative matter including standard procurement process;• Periodical update of cost estimation review and discussion with the staff are done for improvement on budget preparation;• Conduct "Successful Grants Management Training" on participatory way to build confidence of staff working under Grants funded projects and provide input during project start-up and review workshop, capacity building workshop for partner organizations etc.;• Contribute on developing hands on tools/guidelines on the compliance requirements of specific donors that are made available for Plan and partner staff for their ready reference;• Projects financial reports are prepared for completeness, accuracy and conformance with donor guideline before submission;• Contribute in SAP roll-out process in Plan International Bangladesh (Managing GRANTS Module);• Act as country focal person during Donor Audit especially for AECID funded projects and Desk audit by GAC including other Donors;• Contribute in calculating periodic core cost recovery calculation and during budget development stage following updated cost recovery procedure as adopted by IH time to time. 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  • Global Grants Finance Manager at Plan International, Global Hub, UK

    Mar 2022 - Aug 2023

  • Project Finance Account Manager at Plan International, Global Hub, UK

    Nov 2020 - Mar 2022

  • Grants Accountant at Plan International, Global Hub, UK

    Oct 2019 - Oct 2020

  • Finance Manager-Budget & Reporting

    Apr 2016 - Oct 2019

  • Grants Finance Coordinator

    Dec 2012 - Mar 2016
• 

  Plan International Deutschland e.V.

  Sept 2023 - now

  Project Controlling & Compliance Specialist

  • Expenditure-income control and ongoing project financial planning in collaboration with the project sub-team;• Management and monitoring of the finances of the publicly and privately funded humanitarian and development aid projects: - Preparation and review of project budgets, financial statements, and funding requirements; - Preparation of budgets as well as financial interim and final reports for current and new projects; - Ensuring compliance with donor guidelines (AA, BMZ, EU, UN Organizations, GIZ, OCHA, GFFO and other Private Donors etc.). Show less