Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and
Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste
Dili, April 17th, 2017
Government demonstrates commitment to transparency and accountability as General State Accounts for 2014 and 2015 reviewed in National Parliament
On the 17th of April the reports on the General State Accounts for 2014 and 2015 were debated in National Parliament. Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo, noted in his introductory address that the Government welcomed the “frank and constructive” debate of the accounts and underlined the Government’s commitment to continue to support consistent improvement in all aspects of public financial management as an essential part of the “process of constructing the State and Nation.”
At the end of the debate the Reports of the Audit Chamber of the Court of Appeal on the General State Accounts of 2014 and 2015 were unanimously approved. Parliamentarians appreciated that many of the recommendations proposed by the reports had already been adopted by the Sixth Constitutional Government in its mission to improve the quality of planning and budgeting to achieve a more efficient and effective execution of public expenditure.
Since 2016 Ministries and Agencies have been required to make submissions setting out specific programs and activities that present a transparent and justifiable link to their associated budgets. Annual Plans that include descriptions of programs and activities, associated key indicators, modes of verification, baseline data, desired outcomes and a specific associated budget are all available online at the website of the Ministry of Finance.
In addition 25 organs of the Government are now connected to a computer based ‘Program Budgeting’ system that automatically tracks expenditure to achieve unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability.
The reports of the Audit Court debated in the Parliament offered a judgment on the legality and correctness of the operations carried out by the Government, reviewed the efficiency of public management of funds and the reliability of internal control systems, and proposed recommendations. Both the 2014 and 2015 reports found that Government had operated the Timor-Leste Consolidated Fund, the Infrastructure Fund and the Human Capital Development Fund in a way that complied with “the constitutional, legal and regulatory principles” and advised that the General State Accounts of 2014 and 2015 were in “a condition to be approved by National Parliament.”
Spokesperson, Minister of State Agio Pereira, noted “The constructive debate in National Parliament and subsequent approval of the General State Accounts for 2014 and 2015 demonstrated a rigorous approach to the financial management of the public funds of Timor-Leste. The Government participated fully in the process committed to transparency and accountability and remains determined to achieve the most efficient and effective use of public funds to develop our Nation and improve the lives of our People.”ENDS