Overview:
Palau has launched a nationwide effort to strengthen state-level financial management with the rollout of the QuickBooks Desktop 2024 Execution Course, a five-day training program aimed at improving fiscal accountability and audit readiness across all 15 states. Led by the Bureau of Domestic Affairs, in partnership with the Office of the Public Auditor and Palau Community College, the initiative brings together key finance personnel to build practical skills in public financial management systems.
Koror, Palau – April 13, 2026 – The Bureau of Domestic Affairs, Ministry of State, in partnership with the Office of the Public Auditor (OPA), State Governments and Palau Community College (PCC), has put together a dedicated State Government fiscal development course. Today, officially commenced Class One of the “QuickBooks Desktop 2024 Execution Course” to scale up fiscal capacities for State Governments. This five-day developmental course program is designed to strengthen financial management capacity across the 15 State Governments and will conclude on Friday, April 17, 2026.
The development course, held at PCC’s Continuing Education Training Room, brings together State’s key financial staff to build confidence in practical skills and applications in executing their respective State Government’s Public Financial Management Standard Operating Procedures (PFM SOPs) using the latest QuickBooks Desktop 2024. Class One includes key financial staff from Airai State, Angaur State, Melekeok State, Ngaraard State, Ngarchelong State, Ngatpang State, Ngiwal State, and Peleliu State. This development course addressed the critical need for a fiscal system within our State, with up-to-par level competency to ensure fiscal accuracy, records retention, and audit-ready financial records.
The opening ceremony featured remarks from The Honorable Gustav N. Aitaro, Minister of State, Dr. Patrick U. Tellei, President of Palau Community College, and Mr. Saturnino Tewid, Public Auditor, underscoring the importance of financial accountability and transparency in State Governments. In attendance were Honorable Henaro Polloi, Chairman of the Governor’s Association, Honorable Norman Ngiratecheboet, Governor of Airai State, Honorable Sharp Sakuma, Governor of Ngaraard State, Honorable Kennosuke Suzuky, Governor of Angaur State, Honorable Dwight Ngiraibai, Governor of Ngarchelong State, and Honorable Jersey Iyar, Governor of Ngatpang State, whose participation highlighted the unified support for strengthening financial management practices across Palau’s State Governments.
Over the weeklong developmental course, participants will engage in 8 fiscal modules covering the state accounting cycle and controls, daily transactions and reporting, reconciliation mastery, error correction procedures, and audit readiness with PFM SOP compliance. The course emphasizes maintaining daily accurate fiscal transactions and reports to allow real-time fiscal information for State leaders to make well-informed decisions.
Due to overwhelming registration for the fiscal development course, Class Two of the “QuickBooks Desktop 2024 Course Execution” will begin on April 27 and run through May 1, 2026, extending this initiative to the rest of the 15 State Governments. Supported by PCC Continuing Education, the fiscal development course is designed to be sustainable and repeatable in future times when the need arises from the State Governments. (Press release)