Mekong River Commission

Finance and Administration

Following on from the past three financial years, the MRC has continued its stringent budgeting rules and maintained a surplus in the operating expenses budget. This vigorous financial control will be maintained throughout 2006.

The year 2005 was the first complete year in Vientiane, Lao PDR after the relocation of the Secretariat from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. By early 2005 all Lao administrative staff members were on board and had participated in on-thejob training with their counterparts from Cambodia and in external training, which was funded by UNDP, working in conjunction with the Lao National Mekong Committee. The onthe- job training by the Cambodian staff was completed successfully by the end of June 2005.

In 2005 the Regional Flood Management and Mitigation Centre opened its doors in Phnom Penh to host the Flood Management and Mitigation Programme. The programme gathered full steam in 2005 with the recruitment of the essential management staff, technical and administrative staff.

2005 income and expenditure

MRC is funded by the Member States and by the international donor community. The funds received contribute to the Technical Cooperation Budget, which is mainly used for personnel, subcontracting and training activities, and to the Regular Budget, which finances the services that the Secretariat provides to its governing bodies and to its programmes and projects and personnel costs. The Technical Cooperation Budget is 100% funded by donors, while the Regular Budget is funded by both the Member States and donors. Cash income received in 2005 from the donor community, from the Member States and other sources amounted to US$ 14,858,753.