Council of Public Finance prepares “guidance” on … – publico

                 

                         
                     

                 

 
                         

The challenge launched by the PSD to the main opposition party to submit the assessment of the Board of Public Finance (CFP) and the Technical Unit of Budget Support (UTAO) the macroeconomic scenario developed by a group of 12 economists is generating doubts about the possibility of these two bodies be able to do.

                     

                          Understanding the PSD is that, yes, both the mandate of UTAO as the CFP give rise to it, but the PS believes that the law leaves out the powers of the two entities that possibility. The first provides technical support to Parliament, the second is a “independent administrative authority”.

For now, the Council of Public Finance said that the PUBLIC “is preparing guidance on the subject “. The interpretation of the CFP’s mandate is not as clear as the scope of duties of UTAO, which responds to the Parliament on the analysis of studies and technical working papers on public budgetary and financial management.

One of the questions is whether, taking into account the Council’s position of independence laid down in its statutes, the technicians of the institution led by Teodora Cardoso can advise on reports that a party wants to submit for evaluation.

The CFP assignments provide for the analysis of the “macroeconomic scenarios adopted by the Government,” the “public debt dynamics,” the “evolution of existing commitments, with particular focus on the pension and health systems and in public-private partnerships and concessions, “the” financial situation of the autonomous regions and local authorities, “the public business sector, fiscal spending and budget implementation. Necessarily have to issue reports on the proposed state budget, the Stability and Growth Programme, the Multiannual Framework of Budget Programming. E “should also produce regular reports on the sustainability of public finances and other it considers appropriate.”

THE PUBLIC CFP awaits response on the interpretation of statutes, to see if the Commission considers there is room to examine documents or supporters if this hypothesis is excluded (and, ultimately, it will need to review the statutes supporters case studies can be analyzed here).

already UTAO responds to Parliament. It is organically, a unit that is part of the National Assembly services. The UTAO provides technical support to Parliament in budgetary and financial matters, working under the guidance of the Budget Committee, Finance and Public Administration (Cofap).

At technicians UTAO compete prepare studies and technical working papers to the State Budget Act, the General State Accounts, the budget implementation to the Ministry of Finance publishes every month, the stability program which the executive is required to send to the European Commission. The scrutiny of the unit also pass the contracts of Public-Private Partnership and concessions. And they can spend “admitted legislative initiatives, the president of the Parliament” subject to Cofap.

Among the powers of the UTAO is still the analysis of “other work that you . are determined “by Cofap, the President of Parliament or by other committees

It is on this last assignment, provided for in paragraph i) of Article 10 – The resolution where we determine the competence of UTAO, the spokesman for the PSD, Antony Costa, says most will force the analysis of macroeconomic PS by UTAO scenario. To do this, you will have to propose within the Cofap where PSD and CDS-PP have majority.