PREM Notes

176 items available

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9424

This note series is intended to summarize good practices and key policy findings on poverty reduction and economic management (PREM) topics.

Items in this collection

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

Public Participation in the Budget Process in the Republic of Korea

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-06) Kang, Young Kyu ; Min, Saw Young

In January 2013, the International Budget Partnership (IBP) released the latest Open Budget Survey (OBS) with a new section on public participation. The survey results are not encouraging. For the 100 surveyed countries, the average score for public participation in the budget process is 19 out of 100. However, one country stands out. With a score of 92, Korea emerges as the only country ‘that provides extensive opportunities for public engagement’ (IBP 2012, 33). What makes Korea an exception? This note investigates the different public participation mechanisms in Korea and illustrates how public inputs are reflected in the country’s budget process and fiscal policies.
The Australian Goverrnment's M&E System

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-03) Mackay, Keith

Countries from all over the world have shown an interest in Australia's experience in creating a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system that supports evidence-based decision making and performance-based budgeting. The Australian M and E system in existence from 1987-97 was generally considered to be one of the most successful and was driven by the federal Department of Finance (DoF). This note discusses the genesis, characteristics, and success of this particular system and briefly considers the Australian government's approach to M and E after the system was abolished. The contrast between these two periods provides many valuable insights into success factors and challenges facing successful M and E systems, and into implementing evidence-based decision making more broadly.
Korea's Move to e-Procurement

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2004-07) Cho, Junghun ; Byeon, Hee Seok

In 1997 the Korean government began reforming its notoriously complicated, nontransparent, corrupt public procurement system, introducing e-procurement to exploit the country's well-developed information and communications infrastructure. Through extensive business process reengineering and information strategy planning, the Public Procurement Service-the agency formerly responsible for buying government goods and services-has been transformed into a one-stop information center. E-procurement has generated numerous benefits, including: Enhanced transparency and public trust-by reducing contacts between officials and suppliers and by sharing information between government agencies and the public. Increased managerial efficiency-by achieving economies of scale in procurement, with an estimated $2.5 billion a year in savings from the $26 million investment. This note analyzes how Korea achieved these outcomes, the lessons of its experience, and the challenges that remain for its e-procurement system.
Thailand's Hurdle Approach to Budget Reform

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2002-08) Dixon, Geoffrey ; Dorotinsky, Bill

The note shows how Thailand's efforts to ease budget controls, can complement efforts to strengthen the capabilities of government agencies. The country's budget reform strategy, while seeking to retain the benefits of tight central control, aims at avoiding its costs, by transferring control over budget details, from the Bureau of the Budget to spending agencies, making them more responsible for managing their budget allocations, and accountable for achieving better results. This approach strengthens agency management, avoids corruption, and provides incentives for agencies to improve their management, rewarded by increased financial autonomy. However, such approach increases the risk of stalled budget reform, if agencies prolong the approach standards, or if agencies are reluctant to agree to an understanding. Although Thailand's budget reform is not yet finalized, lessons indicate the need for stronger political will, since bureaucracy in the country, enjoys far more power relative to the executive, than in many other countries; the complexity of the Thai budget reform approach could have been simplified, by increasing awareness of the need for good financial management, and by a computer-based accounting system that would meet basic financial control, and reporting standards; and, that inputs from international consultants should have been integrated with budget reform efforts.
Decentralization and Governance : Does Decentralization Improve Public Service Delivery?

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2001-06) Kahkonen, Satu ; Lanyi, Anthony

Decentralization holds a lot of promise, but whether it improves public service delivery depends on the institutional arrangements governing its implementation. Several conditions must be met before the full benefits of decentralization can be reaped. First, for decentralization to increase allocative and productive efficiency, local governments need to have the authority to respond to local demand as well as adequate mechanisms for accountability. Because granting authority without accountability can lead to corruption and lower productive efficiency, decentralization needs to be accompanied by reforms that increase the transparency and accountability of local government. Second, functions need to be devolved to a low enough level of government for allocative efficiency to increase as a result of decentralization. Low-level governments are likely to be aware of local preferences and, if able to do so, are likely to adjust service delivery accordingly. Third, citizens should have channels to communicate their preferences and get their voices heard in local governments. But the existence of such channels is not enough. To effectively influence public policies and oversee local governments, citizens need to have information about government policies and activities. The media play a crucial role in this area.
Promoting Good Governance with Social Funds and Decentralization

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2001-01) Parker, Andrew

Bad governance undermines development. Two important types of World Bank support for local governance are social funds and broadly based support for governments committed to decentralizing responsibility and power to local governments and other local institutions. But there are concerns that these two approaches, which address different elements of governance, sometimes work at cross-purposes. A study was therefore commissioned to examine the interaction between social funds and decentralization in Bolivia and Honduras (advanced decentralization), Peru and Zimbabwe (some decentralization), and Cambodia, Malawi, and Zambia (little or no decentralization). This Note is based on the findings of the study.
Improving Taxpayer Service and Facilitating Compliance in Singapore

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2000-12) Bird, Richard M. ; Oldman, Oliver

Over the past ten years, the government of Singapore has sought to modernize and computerize Singapore. Tax administration was one area of public administration that clearly required modernization. In 1992 the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) was created to administer income and property taxes and a new value added tax called the Goods and Services Tax. Planning began to develop an integrated, computerized approach tax administration, which was soon reorganized on functional lines. This process has had made impressive results. In a survey, 95 percent of individual taxpayers, 83 percent of corporate taxpayers, and 93 percent of goods and services taxpayers said they were satisfied with IRAS services. This note discusses what Singapore has done to improve the taxpayer service and how it was done.
Computerizing Tax and Customs Administrations

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2000-10) Engelschalk, Michael ; Melhem, Samia ; Weist, Dana

Computerization is an important part of World Bank tax and customs projects. Revenue administration computerization projects should be seen in the broader context of public sector reforms. They touch on issues such as the government's overall strategy for information technology, the revenue agency's autonomy in maintaining information technology systems, civil service laws and procurement policies, and communication and cooperation among government agencies. Drawing on completed and ongoing projects -- especially the Philippines Tax Computerization Project -- this note offers recommendations for project design and implementation.
Indonesia's Decentralization After Crisis

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2000-09) Ma, Jun ; Hofman, Bert

In 1999, the Indonesian Parliament adopted two laws requiring that drastic decentralization measures be implemented in fiscal 2001 in a "big bang" fashion. Several lessons can be drawn from Indonesia's experience. 1) Ideally, decentralization should be managed so that the devolution of fiscal resources occurs in line with the devolution of spending. In reality, politics determines the devolution of resources, often with little regard for spending responsibilities. 2) Spending responsibilities can be devolved to a level of government in line with its administrative capacities. 3) Every effort should be made to avoid delays in establishing regulations that detail the responsibilities of various levels of government. 4) Local governments should be assigned one or a few substantive taxes over which they have some rate of autonomy, to ensure local accountability and fiscal discipline.