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Beneficiary in 2006-2007
The main objective of the Twinning project delivered by Denmark in Bulgaria was to improve the budget planning and procedures, as well as to construct a budget process in line with the EU best practice.
Reforming the budget process led to a more effective and efficient allocation of public expenditure.
The project consisted of four main components, some of which were divided into sub-components to cover all aspects of public expenditure management.
Under Component 1 “Legislative framework” – the legal framework related to the budget process was reviewed and a new draft Law for the Structure of the State Budget (Organic Budget Law) was developed. The new law enabled public finance management based on transparency, enhanced accountability, and prioritisation of expected results as a basis for budget management decisions.
Under Component 2 “Budgetary practices” – key results included: strategic report on the mid-term fiscal framework; assessment of the progress in decentralisation of the financial function within the central government and; guidelines for assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the budget proposals.
Component 3 “Professional development through training” – focused on further improving the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the civil servants in support of the ongoing budget reforms.
Under Component 4 “Strengthening the training capacity of the Public Finance School”, modern training tools were developed, such as an e-learning system, an information system for administering training activities and a documentation centre.
Now – a provider of expertise
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) supported the implementation of the new Organic Budget Law of the Republic of North Macedonia. The activities were carried out under Component 1 of the Twinning project MK 18 IPA FI 01 19 “Strengthening budget planning, execution and internal control functions” of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The main areas of MoF’s participation were related to preparing a compliance assessment of the Organic Budget Law vis-a-vis the European framework for fiscal governance and good international practices, as well as an assessments of various laws and regulations related to the provisions of the new Law. The aim was to improve the public finance management.
The project supported the development of by-laws, procedures and methodological tools in various areas, such as programme budgeting, cash operations, public debt management and macroeconomic issues, in accordance with the projections of the Organic Budget Law.
Special attention was also paid to activities related to increasing the capacity of experts from various budget spending units of the Republic of North Macedonia with regard to the practical application of the provisions of the new Organic Budget Law and the functions and related processes.