B A R T A
THE BEST ANNUAL REPORT AND TRANSPARENCY
AWARD
The World Bank, in partnership with the Accounting Reform's Stakeholders' Foundation (RSF), has announced the opening of the 2024 Annual Report and Transparency Award (BARTA). The aim of this competition is to increase the quality of reporting and transparency of Georgian companies. Given European and global developments, in particular the steps taken towards the introduction of sustainability reporting, this award has an even more important role to play.
BARTA was established in 2019 as part of a joint project of financial engagement and accountability between the EU and the World Bank, after the European Union (EU) launched a fundamental review of corporate Reporting. The EU is committed to the sustainable transition of its economy. This demands that corporate sustainability reporting assumes equal prominence to financial reporting. Accordingly, theinitiated the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires that from 2025, for the financial year 2024, some 50,000 large and listed European Union (EU) companies, and many large non-EU companies with significant operations on the EU, to publish sustainability reports using European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Similarly at global level the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has issued its inaugural standards—IFRS S1 and IFRS S2—ushering in a new era of sustainability-related disclosures in capital markets worldwide.
This year BARTA for the first time opens to all first category companies and groups in addition to all companies that are public interest entities (PIEs), including companies in the A and B listing categories (see the full list of eligible companies). All companies listed on the exchange will automatically participate in the evaluation if they satisfy eligibility criteria, namely an unqualified audit opinion and timely submission of all mandatory reporting applicable to the company’s category. All other companies classified as PIEs, first-category entities and groups will need to apply.
The deadline for companies to submit is October 31, 2024.
In recognition of the rapid emergence of sustainability reporting, especially in the European Union, BARTA 2024 will have an award for the ‘Best Sustainability Report’ for each of the main company categories. These reports are expected to be compiled using an established international framework such as European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).
SCORING OF POINTS
Large Copmanies
(Financial and Non-Financial PIEs with more than 500 staff)
40
20
20
20
Management
Report
Corporate Governance
Report
Non-financial statement
Other
Transparency Measures
Evaluation process consists of 3 stages, including initial selection and screening, detailed evaluation of selected companies/groups, and finally, identification of winners by a panel of judges, comprising local and international experts.
The award is only open to companies that are classified as a ‘public interest entity’ (PIE), first category companies and groups. PIEs that are listed companies (stock exchange listing A and B categories) and that meet current financial reporting requirements, as evidenced by the unmodified audit report and timely submission of the annual report to the Accounting, Reporting and Auditing Service (SARAS) at www.reportal.ge, will be notified that they have met the initial selection criteria and will be automatically subject to evaluation. In effect these companies are automatically nominated.
All other companies classified as ‘public interest entities’ (PIEs), first category companies and groups must apply themselves using the ‘Registration’ button above. These companies/groups, just like listed PIEs, must meet current financial reporting requirements, as evidenced by an unmodified audit report and the timely submission of an annual report to the SARAS. In effect these companies/groups are self nominees.
Those companies/groups that comply with the requirements need to self-nominate themselves by e-mailing an electronic copy of their annual report to RSF. A complete list of PIEs,first category companies and groups including ones outside the GSE listing and that can self-nominate, is given in the respective section of the site.
Note: All banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are classified as PIEs. In addition, they are reminded that they will also need to comply with their respective regulator’s reporting deadlines to be eligible for participation in the contest.
EVALUATION PROCESS
Small and Medium Companies
(PIEs with less than 500 staff)
50
20
10
20
Management
Report
Corporate Governance
Report
Non-financial statement
Other
Transparency Measures
Award winners will be determined based on an evaluation of their management reporting, corporate governance statement, non-financial information (NFI) prepared in accordance with Article 7 of the Law of Georgia on Accounting, Reporting and Auditing and the other factors(e.g. publication of reports on their website, timely filing of annual report and quality of presented financial statements). Therefore, a condition for taking part in the contest is compliance with the legal requirements.
Panel of
JUDGES
Panel members with the assistance of local consultants will assign the scores to companies in every category. Each company will be scored out of 100% according to components shown in the table above.