GAP Institute and Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) presented the analysis “Budgeting Practices and Budget Transparency in Municipality of Gjakova”.

26/03/2014

On March 2014, GAP and GLPS organized a joint conference in Gjakova to discuss about the budget transparency in this municipality

Berat Thaqi (GAP) presented the main problems on financial management that Municipality of Gjakova has been facing. One of the main problems raised in the analysis was the lack of internal auditors and the quality of their reports. The lack of publication of financial and expenditure reports during the period 2010 – 2012 was another issue that was raised here.  In this conference  GAP mentioned some recommendations on how the municipality should raise the involvement of citizens and stakeholders in the process of drafting the municipal budget.

Mimoza Kusari – Lila, mayor of Gjakova Municipality, stated that Gjakova  is currently facing debts inherited from the previous local government , which is around 5.5 million euro. Lack of professionalism in terms of budget planning, lack of transparency in project implementation, lack of investment in sanitation and drinking water, violations in the use of public properties were some other problems that the new government is dealing with.  

Teki Shala, Director of Budget and Finance Department, presented the achievements of Gjakova Municipality regarding the own source – revenues (OVR), which increased in the first quarter compared with the same period of previous years. All this is achieved by having direct communication with citizens and informing them about the advantages and disadvantages of tax payment. Mr. Shala also mentioned that in the future Gjakova Municipality will introduce a new practice of rewarding those neighborhoods/villages which regularly pay property taxes, providing them capital investments or other investments which citizens will identify as priorities for their community.

Other Members of Municipal Assembly of Gjakova also contributed to this debate, mainly which by expressing their concerns regarding the low budget that their municipality has compared to its needs.

At the end, Berat Thaqi  presented GAP"s online platform “How does the state spend our money?” which aims to enhance transparency in public spending on local and central level. GAP has managed to  link this platform with the websites of 23 municipalities of Kosovo. Gjakova Municipality was one of the first municipalities that agreed to display GAP platform in its official web site.


Read the full analysis here