COLUMBUS, Ohio � The Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (OP&F) recently received the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The awards recognize OP&F�s fiscal year 2005 comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) as examples of good accounting and financial reporting.

According to the GFOA, the certificate represents the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. OP&F has received the GFOA recognition in 17 of the past 18 years. The judging of for the award was conducted by an impartial panel, which cited OP&F�s report as including a "spirit of full disclosure," which "clearly communicated its financial story."

"Our intent with the CAFR is to produce a comprehensive statement that serves as an reference guide to our excellent accounting and financial standing,� said William J. Estabrook, OP&F Executive Director. �In our effort to remain a leader and model among retirement systems, this publication serves as an important disclosure of our standing. The GFOA award again acknowledges our success."

The 2005 CAFR is available online at www.op-f.org.

The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving 16,000 government finance professionals with offices in Chicago, IL, and Washington, D.C.

About OP&F

Created in 1965 as a result of an act passed by the Ohio General Assembly, OP&F is a multi-employer pension fund serving more than 52,000 members. OP&F provides pension, disability, and survivor benefits to Ohio�s full-time police officers and firefighters and their eligible beneficiaries and sponsors health care benefits for eligible benefit recipients.