Clifton Cliff

A seasoned finance and accounting professional with over 10 years of progressive experience spanning in tourism sector, NGOs, manufacturing sector and assembly sector. With proven records in managing donor funds, handling multi-currency transactions, overseeing financial operations and decentralized finance, and regulatory compliance across manufacturing, FMCG, and project-based environments in East Africa. Key strength includes tax planning and compliance, audit coordination and strategic financial reporting.

A Bachelor of commerce in finance with Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of ICPAK. Driving fiscal discipline, optimizing cost structures, and enhancing financial reporting systems to support data-driven decision-making and sustainable growth. Adept at managing budgets, leading cross-functional teams, and aligning financial strategy with organizational objectives.

Board-ready leader with a strong command of IFRS, tax policy, enterprise risk, and stakeholder engagement, delivering measurable value in dynamic, growth-focused settings.

Chief Finance Officer at Eri Bikes (U) Ltd (2024-10 – Present)

• Drive financial strategy and reporting, aligning with the company's strategic plan in delivering accurate monthly and quarterly management reports including P&L statements, balance sheets, stock analysis, aged receivables, and payables, enabling data-driven decisions and improving financial visibility by 35%.
• Lead cost optimization initiatives, advising executive leadership on cost-cutting opportunities, resulting in a 12% reduction in operational expenses within the first six months.
• Develop and manage annual budgets in collaboration with departmental heads, ensuring resource alignment with strategic priorities and maintaining budget variance within a 5% threshold.
• Oversee external audits, preparing comprehensive year-end audit files and coordinating with external auditors to ensure compliance with IFRS and local regulatory standards, achieving clean audit opinions.
• Execute month-end closings, including preparation of accurate journal entries and reconciliations of all balance sheet accounts, ensuring timely financial reporting and compliance.
• Approve and verify disbursements, managing both petty cash and bank payments while ensuring adherence to internal controls and minimizing payment errors.
• Oversee financial data integrity, capturing and validating entries from invoices, payments, and reconciliations to maintain clean and auditable records.
• Act as the primary liaison with URA (Uganda Revenue Authority) and financial institutions, streamlining tax compliance and improving banking relationships for smoother transaction processes.
• Maintain and update the fixed asset register, ensuring accurate asset tracking and depreciation schedules aligned with IFRS standards.
• Manage payroll processing, preparing pay slips, ensuring accurate statutory deductions (NSSF, PAYE, VAT), and filing all returns ahead of deadlines—maintaining 100% compliance rate.
• Enhance ERP data accuracy, by updating customer records and assigning proper codes, improving invoicing turnaround time by 20%.

Finance Controller at Seret Grains Uganda Ltd (2021-10 – 2024-09)

• Prepared detailed financial reports comparing multi-period performance, highlighting key variances and trends (YoY and MoM), and presented actionable insights to executive management—contributing to a 20% improvement in financial planning accuracy.
• Led the annual budgeting process, collaborating with departmental heads to develop zero-based budgets aligned with operational forecasts, resulting in 95% adherence to projected spend targets.
• Reconciled all balance sheet items, including multicurrency bank accounts, trade receivables, payables, and fixed assets, ensuring 100% accuracy and audit readiness.
• Monitored tax legislation changes, provided timely advisory to leadership on compliance implications, and proactively aligned internal processes with URA regulations—avoiding penalties and maintaining full compliance.
• Prepared audit files and coordinated directly with external auditors, achieving successful audit completion with zero material findings across multiple fiscal years.
• Verified and authorized disbursements, overseeing petty cash and bank transactions while enforcing internal control procedures—reducing payment processing errors by 30%.
• Streamlined documentation control, ensuring all payment support documents (LPOs, GRNs, invoices) were accurately attached and filed, improving audit trail quality and operational efficiency.
• Oversaw monthly stock verification and reporting, implementing tighter controls on stock reconciliations and reducing inventory discrepancies by 15%.
• Posted journal entries and executed month-end closures, ensuring timely financial consolidation and maintaining reporting timelines.
• Conducted monthly multicurrency valuations, applying current exchange rates and accounting for forex gains/losses in accordance with IAS 21.
• Calculated accurate landing costs for imported raw materials and finished goods, enhancing product costing precision and informing pricing decisions.
• Reviewed and approved payroll processes, VAT filings, and statutory deductions (NSSF, PAYE), ensuring 100% on-time compliance with government requirements.

Accountant at Seiya Ltd (2013-04 – 2021-09)

• Prepared and delivered monthly management reports for both company and projects including budget vs. actual analysis with percentage variances, empowering senior leadership with insights that improved cost control by 18%.
• Processed and posted high-volume transactions, including supplier invoices, bank payments, and petty cash disbursements, ensuring timely and accurate financial recording in the ERP system.
• Monitored daily fuel consumption, capturing and reconciling fuel data across multiple project sites to enhance cost tracking and reduce fuel misuse by 12%.
• Performed monthly journal entries and balance sheet reconciliations, including bank, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accruals, maintaining 100% accuracy in ledger balances.
• Led audit preparations, compiling complete audit documentation and liaising with external auditors to ensure timely completion of statutory audits, with no material misstatements reported over consecutive years.
• Responded promptly to audit queries, providing clear documentation and explanations, contributing to successful audit closure within stipulated timelines.
• Oversaw regulatory compliance, ensuring annual audit reports were submitted to relevant regulatory authorities (KRA, NSSF, NHIF), maintaining full statutory compliance and avoiding penalties.
• Collaborated with project officers to develop and monitor annual project budgets, aligning financial planning with donor and internal funding requirements achieving 97% budget utilization efficiency.
• Managed VAT computations and filings, as well as statutory deductions (PAYE, NHIF, NSSF), ensuring accurate submissions and maintaining a 100% filing compliance rate.

Bachelor of Commerce in Finance – Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) (2013-04 – 2016-11)

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – KASNEB (2006-01 – 2010-06)