GAP Institute and Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) presented the analysis “Budgeting Practices and Budget Transparency in Municipality of Ferizaj
01/04/2014
On 1st of April 2014, GAP and GLPS organized a joint conference in Ferizaj to discuss about the budget transparency in this municipality.
Berat Thaqi (GAP) presented the main problems on financial management that municipality of Ferizaj is facing. The lack of Strategic Development Plan, which serves as the basis for the budget planning, was one of the main problems that were identified in this study. In terms of transparency, during the period 2010 – 2012, although not every report has been published Municipality"s official web site the Ferizaj Municipality compared to other municipalities in Kosovo has published a large number of quarterly financial reports. GAP representative gave certain recommendations on how to increase awareness and involvement of citizens and other stakeholders on drafting of the municipal budget.
Muharrem Sfarqa, Mayor of Ferizaj Municipality, emphasized that the municipality’s main problem is the inherited debt from the previous government, which currently stands at 3,951,074 euro , and even asked for help from the central Government to assist all municipalities that have inherited such large debts. Another problem raised by the mayor was the reduction of the budget line for goods and services to 15 percent, as required recently by the Government. As a consequence of this Ferizaj Municipality reduced 946, 249 euro in the education and health programs. With regard to the low level of participation of citizens in budget planning discussions during the previous leadership, was the result of lack of information of citizens and mainly because capital investments were done based on political orientation, added the mayor. The mayor vowed that during his mandate he will increase transparency in the budgeting process and will find ways to increase the number of citizens in public meetings.
Members of Municipal Assembly of Ferizaj and representatives of local civil society organizations and media also contributed in this debate by raising concerns on public procurement procedures, investments planning, and the low participations of citizens in public hearings.
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. Ferizaj Municipality is one of 23 municipalities that has linked GAP"s Platform with its official website.
Read the full analysis here
