budgets, and periodic fiscal performance indicators (PEFA) on notice boards .
This information is also disseminated through radio, TV, print media, such as
Negarit Gazeta, and other local publications, particularly at regional and woreda
levels and via the MoFED web site (http://www.mofed.org). Similarly, after the
first half of the year, MoFED reports to HoPR on budget performance.
370
The CSAR also notes some of the important institutional arrangements for sound
public finance management: the Integrated Budget and Expenditure (IBEX)
system (internal system). The office of the Accountant General (OFAG) and the
HoPR act as external controls and provide scrutiny over the executed budget.
Revenue Administration
371
The CSAR notes the constraints that low levels of domestic revenue mobilisation
have imposed on the economy in terms of budget deficit and reliance on donor
assistance for programme support. In the last decade or so, Ethiopia has
developed and implemented a sound tax framework to enhance domestic
revenue mobilisation. The main pieces of legislation relate to the Value-Added
Tax and Turnover Tax Proclamation of 2003, Excise Tax law rationalisation, and
introduction of the Tax Identification Number (TIN). Turnover tax on those who
are not eligible for VAT was introduced to preserve the neutrality of the tax system
and augment revenue collection by regional Governments. Modern information
management systems have also been put in place.
Expenditure Management
372
The CSAR highlights the seriousness government attaches to expenditure
management. Hence, the approach used in PASDEP, and within the MEFF, is
to start with a thorough assessment of available resources and allocate them to
sectors, within resource constraints. Accordingly, no scaling up of foreign aid is
considered in projecting the costs. This tailors projections to available domestic
and external resource inflows. Government fully costed the PASDEP on the basis
of what it would take to reach the MDGs. The belief is that this modest approach
should be pursued until concrete evidence of scaled up external financial flows
is provided.
373
Overall, total PASDEP (2005/06-2009/10) budget projections for agriculture, rural
development and education were estimated at 232 billion Birr, with agriculture,
rural development and education accounting for the lion’s share of projected
programme costs. Total projected allocation estimates for both poverty-oriented
and non-poverty sectors increased from 36.5 billion Birr in 2004/05 to 53.5 billion
Birr by the end of 2009/10. The total projected programme costs for development
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