DILI, 29 june 2020 (TATOLI) – The Government, through the Ministry of Finance, together with Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (UPMA), organized on June 29, 2021, the Budget Days, a seminar that marks the beginning of the preparation of the General State Budget (OJE) of 2022, held in the auditorium Xanana Gusmão, at the Ministry of Finance, in Dili.
The theme of the Seminar was ‘Improve Quality Budgeting and Inclusive and Sustainable Growth’ and its main objective was to define national priorities of the 2022 General State Budget (OJE).
The Minister of Finance, Rui Augusto Gomes, in his opening remark states that: “Up to now, Timor-Leste is dependent on the General State Budget as the only instrument for the government to generate economic growth and development. Thus, to ensure the efficiency and efficacy of the OJE, few improvements have to be made on the budget regime and public financial management.”
“Program-Based Budgeting, as a means to guarantee the money taken from Petroleum revenues, taxes, taxpayers and loans from donors will benefit the people and improve the quality of public service delivery to achieve the government’s approved targets,” said Gomes.
During the 1-day ‘Budget Days Seminar’, the technical team of the Ministry of Finance and UPMA presented directives, aligned with the National Strategic Development Plan (PEDN) 2011-2030, and updated the achieved progress in relation to the PEDN and Economic Recovery Plan (PRE).
Gomes said the technical team of the MF and UPMA also presented the evaluation of the impacts of the Covid-19 on Socio-Economic activities, economic and fiscal impacts, and essential necessities, and measures that needed to be established to prevent and protect the vulnerable groups, including gender and social norms.
The seminar would be concluded with the discussions and presentation of the priority programs to decide the General State Budget (OJE) proposal for the fiscal year 2022. The discussion session is presided by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance.
In addition, Mr. Gomes said one important element of the 2021 General State Budget was to recover the economic recession that Timor-Leste had been experiencing for three years, saying the economic recession hadn’t been fully recovered due to the Covid-19 and recent flash floods.
He said after hearing the presentation of the MF and UPMA on June 23, the Council of Ministers approved a resolution project on the criteria for the rationalization of the programmatic structure of the 2022 General State Budget, in which the government had made some alterations to ensure the efficiency and efficacy of the budget execution based on the proposed program and activities of the government.
With the resolution, the Eight Constitutional Government wants to ensure…the 145 programs are reduced to only 30 programs in order to give the government opportunities to focus on the quality of budget execution and control.
At the seminar, the officials from the Central Bank of Timor-Leste (BCTL) also presented a topic, entitled: Financial Sector Development in Timor-Leste. The officials also presented about the role of the National Commercial Bank of Timor-Leste (BNCTL) on Private Sector Development, challenges, opportunities, and future perspectives.
The government members, the representatives of the National Parliament, the municipal authorities, including RAEOA, civil society, managers, technical team, advisors, and media were presented at the seminar.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
