2010年-世界发展银行全球_Pakistan_-_Public_Expenditure_and_Financial_Accountability_Assessment_of_Federal_Government_87页_3mb

Summary Overview of the PEFA Assessment of Pakistan's Federal Government

Core Content

This document presents the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment of Pakistan's federal government, conducted in 2009 by development partners including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UK Department for International Development, and the European Commission, in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan (GoP). The assessment evaluates the current status of Pakistan's Public Financial Management (PFM) system, identifies its strengths and weaknesses, and outlines strategic priorities for reform.

The assessment is based on 31 PEFA performance indicators (PIs), which cover various aspects of PFM, including budget credibility, comprehensiveness and transparency, policy-based budgeting, predictability and control in budget execution, accounting and reporting, external scrutiny and audit, and donor practices. The findings highlight both opportunities and risks that need to be addressed to achieve sustainable PFM reform.

Main Points

1. PEFA Assessment Overview

• Conducted by development partners and the GoP.
• Aimed at providing an evidence-based evaluation of the federal PFM system.
• Identified key areas for reform and provided a foundation for future strategies.
• The report does not represent the official stance of the Government of Pakistan.

2. Key Performance Indicators (PIs) and Their Ratings

3. Main Findings

• Budget Credibility:

  • Aggregate expenditure and revenue performance were rated D and A respectively, indicating some success in revenue generation but challenges in expenditure control.
  • The introduction of the Medium Term Budget Framework (MTBF) and the Government Financial Management Information System (GFMIS) has improved transparency and control.

• Comprehensiveness and Transparency:

  • The system has achieved high scores in budget classification and inter-governmental fiscal transparency.
  • However, there are still issues with unreported government operations and public access to key fiscal information.

• Policy-based Budgeting:

  • The MTBF has improved the budget process, but more integration and better linkage between multi-year estimates and annual budgets are needed.

• Predictability and Control in Budget Execution:

  • There are significant concerns regarding tax collection, fund predictability, and internal controls.
  • The GFMIS has improved the management of core ministries, but not yet extended to all self-accounting entities (SAEs).

• Accounting, Recording, and Reporting:

  • There has been progress in financial reporting and reconciliation.
  • However, full integration of the GFMIS across all SAEs is still pending.

• External Scrutiny and Audit:

  • External audit has improved in scope and efficiency, but legislative scrutiny remains weak.
  • Strengthening parliamentary review and audit follow-up is essential for sustainable reform.

• Donor Practices:

  • Donor practices received a favorable rating, with progress toward using national procedures.
  • Full integration of donor funds into the national PFM system is necessary to improve overall performance.

4. Strategic PFM Priorities

• Aggregate Management:

  • Focus on macro-economic stability and overall fiscal discipline.
  • Requires stronger control mechanisms and better policy alignment.

• Strategic Management:

  • Involves setting sectoral priorities and ensuring allocative efficiency.
  • Needs more focus on long-term planning and multi-year budgeting.

• Operational Management:

  • Aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
  • Requires better internal controls, audit mechanisms, and procurement reforms.

• Transparency and Accountability:

  • Directly linked to public and parliamentary needs for accountability.
  • Emphasizes the importance of transparency in budgeting and reporting for sustainable reform.

Key Information

• The PEFA assessment highlights the need for a comprehensive reform strategy that includes:

  • Strengthening the GFMIS and MTBF to improve budget tracking and control.
  • Enhancing tax collection and internal audit mechanisms.
  • Improving public access to fiscal information and parliamentary oversight.
  • Integrating donor funds into the national PFM system.

• Current reforms have led to improvements in several areas, including:

  • Implementation of a GFS-compliant chart of accounts (CoA).
  • Introduction of the MTBF to cover most federal ministries.
  • Progress in audit efficiency and transparency.

• Future priorities include:

  • Ensuring system-based controls in ministries.
  • Strengthening legislative scrutiny and audit follow-up.
  • Developing an effective internal audit function.
  • Improving procurement processes and public accountability.

• Challenges remain in:

  • Tax collection effectiveness.
  • Internal financial controls in line ministries.
  • Transparency in budget execution and reporting.
  • Public access to fiscal data.

Conclusion

The PEFA assessment underscores the importance of technical reforms in improving PFM systems, but also emphasizes the need for political and institutional support to ensure their sustainability. The current reforms have laid a solid foundation, but further efforts are required to fully realize the potential of the PFM system in Pakistan.