The Hidden Costs of PRO Services in The UAE

In the UAE, where expats make up almost 90% of the population, employment visas and related costs comprise a large portion of a company’s monthly expenses. Public Relations Officers (PRO) or Government Relations Officers (GRO) are crucial resources to all businesses in the country, and most medium to large companies will have a dedicated in-house PRO.

The PRO is responsible for managing employment visas and the issuance or renewal of important licenses and permits. Given the nature of their work, the PRO is responsible for a high level of management expenses, making it essential to improve management efficiency and effectiveness when handling these costs.

Understand Your Expenses

In a typical organisation, a PRO will have one company card assigned to them, which they use for all the costs they encounter. With all expenses merged on one card, it is then up to the PRO or an accountant to manually sift through the bank statements, match the expense with the corresponding receipt, and then manually assign it to the corresponding GL code. This process not only consumes time but also complicates tracking business expenses and maintaining accurate financial records.

With Qashio, you can eliminate this process by linking expenses from specific government agencies directly to their corresponding GL code, allowing for automated reconciliation to the relevant expense category. Companies can allocate multiple cards to their PRO, with each assigned to a different task or project, making it easy to differentiate and track expenses. For example, one card can be allocated for trade license renewals, while another is used for new employee visa costs. This segmentation simplifies expense management and enhances visibility.

Eliminate Paperwork

Managing paperwork is one of the most time-consuming aspects of a PRO’s responsibilities, especially when it comes to handling receipts, invoices, and expense reports. However, with Qashio’s advanced solutions, you can streamline the expense reporting process, freeing your PRO to focus on more impactful tasks.

Here’s how Qashio can help your business gain control over PRO expenses:

• AI-Powered Automated Receipt Matching via WhatsApp: Qashio’s AI-powered receipt matching feature allows your PRO to capture photos of receipts using WhatsApp, the Qashio app, email, or the admin dashboard. These receipts are automatically matched with the corresponding transaction, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring accurate record-keeping.
• Real-Time Expense Tracking Tools: Every transaction made with the Qashio corporate card is tracked in real-time, enabling you to monitor your PRO expenses as they occur. This ensures better cost control and quicker detection of irregularities.
• How to Automate Reports: With Qashio, automating expense reports becomes seamless. All expenses are categorised automatically, enabling faster approvals and enhanced visibility into spending trends.
• Multi-Level Approval Workflow: To maintain compliance and control, Qashio enables dual-level approval workflows to ensure all expenses go through necessary checks before being processed. This prevents unauthorised or out-of-policy spending and makes it easy for finance teams to review expenses.
• Custom Card Controls & Budgets: Assign specific cards to your PRO for different categories of expenses, such as visa renewals, trade licenses, or government permits. You can set spending limits, restrict usage to specific vendors, and allocate budgets to each card, helping to reduce expense management costs and prevent overspending.
• Seamless Integration with Accounting Systems: Qashio integrates with your existing ERP or accounting systems, allowing for fully automated reconciliation of all PRO expenses.

The Importance of Expense Management

Effective expense management is critical for any organisation looking to maintain control over its finances. By leveraging tools like Qashio, businesses can ensure compliance, improve management efficiency and effectiveness, and gain better insights into spending patterns. The benefits of automated reporting include reduced errors, faster processes, and enhanced transparency.

If you’re wondering how to improve tracking business expenses and streamline approvals, Qashio offers the perfect solution. From real-time visibility to custom controls, Qashio’s tools empower businesses to save time, cut costs, and optimise financial workflows.

Get in touch with Qashio today to discover how we can streamline your PRO expenses with powerful expense-tracking tools!