International Council of Economic Affairs meeting reveals positive results

The International Council of Economic Affairs finished its encounter in Johannesburg from Nov. 3 – 6 with positive outcomes, including a foresight into next year’s budget for the general house.

“There is a general compromise to insert data with transparency into the Domus programme,” said Brother Libardo Garzón, the Institute’s econome general. 

"Domus" is the software for the economic management of the Institute.

“One can tell that progress is being gradually made in the quality of information that is being inserted,” he told the general house press office on Nov. 10. 

The Council, known as ICEA, gathered information from 10 provinces out of 29 provinces and districts to analyse the Institute’s economic situation.  

“The meeting had three purposes,” said Br Libardo, who is the coordinator of ICAE. “First, to give continuity to the elaboration of the ICEA’s work plan.”

“Secondly, to analyse the financial situation of the congregation, based on the data the provincial administrators inserted,” he added. “And finally, to foresee the budget of the general house for the year 2016.”

The meeting included Br Libardo, director of FMSI’s Rome bureau Brother Mario Meuti, the provincial administrator of the Ibérica province in Spain, Brother Alfonso Fernández, and Brasil Centro-Sul’s provincial administrator, Brother Jorge Gaio.

Australia’s provincial administrator, Bernard Kenna, member of the commission of economic affairs in the Southern Africa province Adrienne Egbers and the financial analyser of Brasil Centro-Sul province, Everson Ismael de Oliveira, also attended.

The financial administrator of the Pontifical University Rio Grande do Sul, Paolo Roberto Franco, was not able to participate.

The next meeting of ICEA will be in the general house in Rome in May.