The seminar was opened by the Chairperson of the Committee on Finance, State Budget and Control of Public Spending, Vesna Kovac, who spoke of the importance of the Parliament’s role in the budget process. She stressed the need to strengthen the analytical capacities of the MPs and the National Assembly Support Service for the control of the implementation of the budget and the analysis of the budget process. Recruiting economic experts, training the new MPs as well as a more intense cooperation with independent state bodies would also have a positive influence on the improvement of the National Assembly’s analytical capacities, stated Vesna Kovac.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economy Vlajko Senic presented the Ministry’s plans for the 2013 budget. Presenting the Ministry’s calendar, Senic said he was sure the MPs would duly receive next year’s budget proposal and fiscal strategy report, so as to have enough time for analysis and adequate debate at the National Assembly.
The State Secretary also spoke of the planned activities of the Ministry of Finance and Economy aimed at increasing transparency of the budget process and public expenses.
The participants of the seminar were also addressed by Prof. Vladimir Vuckovic, member of the Fiscal Council, who presented the role of the Fiscal Council in the budget process and the support it provides to the National Assembly. Vuckovic said that the adoption of the Law amending the Budget System Law in 2010 set up a solid legislative framework for the budget process. That is also when the Fiscal Council was set up to analyse the budget proposal, budget rebalance, as well as all bills with fiscal implications and inform the National Assembly and the public on them. The Fiscal Council also evaluates the fiscal trends at the National Assembly, said Vuckovic.
Prof. Dusan Vujovic, economic expert and USAID advisor, spoke of programme budgeting – how to improve public finance management and be of service to the Parliament. Programme budgeting allows budget transparency and enables better monitoring of its execution, which improves the effectiveness of the budget, said Prof. Vujovic. He stressed how important it was to continue the budget reform and improving the entire budget process.
In the continuation of the seminar, the MPs and panelists discussed the improvement of the analytic capacities of the Committee on Finance, State Budget and Control of Public Spending and the National Assembly in the analysis of the budget process. In the course of the debate they stressed how important it is that the MPs have ample time to analyse the budget proposal and public debates which would include the expert public were declared very important and useful.