Warsaw: Launching the Project “Local Government Budget Management System”

 
On December 17th, 2007 in Warsaw (Poland), a project funded by the European Union in the ambit of the financial guide-line “Transition Facility” for the Local Government Budget Management System was launched. The project leader is the Polish Ministry of Finance while Formez is a partner together with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Interior, ANCI (National Association of Italian Municipalities), UPI (Union of Italian Provinces) and CSI Piemonte. After a brief welcome address by Ms Elżbieta Suchocka–Roguska, Secretary of State from the Polish Ministry of Finance, Hon. Antonangelo Casula, Under-secretary from the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance took the floor followed by Ms Silvia Scozzese from ANCI, the Project Leader. Mr Pasquale Russiello, Resident Twinning Advisor and his Polish counterpart, Mr Tomasz Zakrzewski who outlined in detail the objectives of the project, terms for its realization, distribution of the arranged budget, the activities planned for 2080 and those which have already been implemented between November and December 2007. The Italian Ambassador H.E. Blefari Melazzi took part in the meeting. The project as a whole, aims at improving the financial management of local entities; developing the IT System for the Local Government Budget Management (LGBM); strengthening efficiency and reliability of the budget planning and financial reports which local entities provide to the Ministry of Finance; increasing stability in public finance through the monitoring of the financial situation of local entities in various sectors as well as augmenting the transparency of public finance in the sector of local government in terms of efficiency in the assessment of the operational and financial activities. The beneficiaries of the project are the Polish local entities. Furthermore, in November, a study visit to Rome was organized for the experts from local entities who depend on the Department of Finance as well as the representatives from the local entities involved in the project. This visit focussed on studying in depth, the functioning methods of the Italian system for budget management. The purpose is to adapt this system to the Polish environment. During the study visit, particular attention was paid to several aspects of the Italian system in order to provide an analytical solution which has not yet been explored in Poland as well as for the development of the system, so as to harmonize it to Maastricht criteria. The project was started on October 30th 2007 and will conclude in March 2009.