Public conference of the EU funded IPA 2018 Twinning Project “Strengthening Budget Planning, Execution and Internal Control Functions”

On 3rd July 2024, a pubic Closing Conference of the EU-funded IPA 2018 Twinning project “Strengthening Budget Planning, Execution and Internal Control Functions” took place (commencing at 11:00am at  Hotel Limak hotel).

The project was implemented by the Minsitry of Finance of Republic of North Macedonia, in co-operation with MS partners from  the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Bulgaria and Republic of Latvia. The project implementation was launched on February 1st  2020 and lasted for 54 months. The  budget for the implementation of the project amounted to 3.700.000 EUR.

The major  objective of the project was to further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending through actvities that support the implementation of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Reform Programme.

The scope of the project covered four  main components in the field of budget management and control, public internal financial control and financial inspection, public procurement and anti-fraud. Furthermore, under the auspices of the Project, a Public Finance Academy within the Ministry of Finance was  establsihed in order to provide trainings to all key bodies in the sector.

Despite the COVID 19 crisis and the complexity of the project itself which happened at the very beginning of the project impelmentation, all agreed significant tangible results were achieved, in particular in legal framework assessment and development (notably the adoption of the new OBL by the BC Parliament), drafting/amending laws and development of relevant by-laws, conducting numerous trainings and workshops, organizing study visits for the beneficiary employees in MS countries, as well as strenghtening of administrative capacities of the key stakeholders (such as workshops, trainings on different topics, pilot activities in various institutions).

The following major results were achieved during the project’s implementation:

• Around 60 laws/by-laws and methodologies were developed;
• Over 60 trainings, workshops and round-table discussions were held;
• Public Procurement Startegy and relevant methodology was prepared;
• Public Finane Academy within the MoF was established;
• National certification programme for internal auditors was developed;
• Financial Inspection was modernized and capacity building was enhanced;
• National Anti-fraud Strategy was updated and AFCOS Network was fully enforced;
• Public procurement and appeals’ systems were improved;
• Capacities of budget users on central and local level to implement PFM legislation and modern tools were enhanced.

Within the given capacities and available budget, the Project was fully committed to addressing and providing support for the key elements outlined in the PFM Programme.