BUJUMBURA February 22nd (ABP) – The Cabinet met on Wednesday February 16th, 2022 under the chairmanship of the Vice President of the Republic, Mr. Prosper Bazombanza, with 12 items on the agenda including a including a budget framework note setting the ceilings for State expenditure for the 2022/2023 financial year, according to the press release from the General Secretariat of the State.
That note, presented by the Minister of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, was prepared pursuant to Law No1/35 of December 4th, 2008 relating to public finances, and in accordance with the provisions of the decree containing the content of the framework letter and the timetable for the preparation for finance bills, according to the press release.
That preparation of budget proposals will be marked by the continued implementation of public finance management reforms aimed at building a transparent and efficient public finance management system.
That budget framework note is based on the government’s priorities set out in the National Development Plan (PND), which is the main planning and budget orientation tool.
To that end, significant innovations have been introduced by the government, particularly in economic and financial management. The government also intends to make the budget a real instrument for operationalizing its development policy. Thus, the proposed budget envelopes aim to better align with government priorities as set out in the PND 2018-2027.
After analyzing the note, the Cabinet approved it with recommendations to take into account the following priorities in addition to those contained in the note.
Those priorities include, among others, support for judicial security, the operationalization of the council of village notables, the purchase of school benches and rehabilitation of schools in a state of disrepair and the public services digitization. It was also recommended to highlight measures taken to increase revenue. In that same context, it was recalled that all State revenue, including that of communes and para-public institutions, must appear in the general State budget, while not removing the prerogatives of those institutions to manage them. Finally, it was requested that the General Commissioner for Migration (formerly PAFE) be provided with an operating budget for the 2022/2023 financial year.