Project description

Title: Reform of the Public Finance System
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Kosovo
Lead executing agency: Presidency of the Assembly
Overall term: 2009 to 2017

Context

Following the declaration of independence of the Republic of Kosovo on 17 February 2008 there is still a great degree of uncertainty regarding the tasks and rights of parliamentary institutions. The project Reform of the Public Finance System in Kosovo addresses this issue by strengthening the Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) of the Assembly of Kosovo. The Committee is responsible for adopting and monitoring the budget. This makes it a key actor, which contributes to the transparent and responsible use of state resources. It has 12 members and reflects the political majority of the Assembly. The Committee still lacks an appropriate support structure that could competently and independently supply the parliamentarians with information, organise working procedures efficiently, and develop the institutional memory.

Objective

The Budget and Finance Committee of the Assembly fulfils its monitoring and legislative tasks efficiently and competently.

Approach

At the heart of the project is the development of a qualified support unit for the Budget and Finance Committee, including its archive, and for the Committee’s networking with other institutions in the chain of state accountability. Through the Assembly the project produces broad-based results across the whole of Kosovo.

The project focuses on the following key areas.

• Strengthening the position of the Budget and Finance Committee in the budget cycle
• Providing training for staff and members of the Budget and Finance Committee
• Improving working procedures and the division of labour in the Committee by working with the deputies, as well as with the staff, for instance in the archive system or the reporting system
• Developing a network involving the Committee  and important national, regional and international partners
• Supporting the reform of parliamentary administration

Results achieved so far

In collaboration with the parliamentary administration a concept was developed for restructuring the committee administration system. This has enabled the administration to prepare committee meetings more efficiently.

Contact has been promoted and developed with other budget committees in the region.

A process has been set in motion to adopt a reporting system for the Committee.