Publication: Timor-Leste Public Expenditure Review: Changing Course Towards Better and More Sustainable Spending
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2021-09
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2021-09
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This Public Expenditure Review is focused on the quality and sustainability of public spending. The key objective of this Public Expenditure Review (PER) is to assess the quality of public spending, by evaluating its efficiency and effectiveness, while also delving into sustainability considerations, by gauging domestic revenue mobilization and the fiscal implications of current spending levels. This work aims to strengthen the evidence base for decision-making on public expenditure and revenue management. Its scope does not include a strong focus on equity, owing to the lack of a recent household survey, the last survey of livings standards was conducted in 2014. Nonetheless, equity dimensions are considered whenever possible and relevant evidence is mentioned. Overall, the analysis underscores the need for prioritizing and improving the quality of public investments, rationalizing undue recurrent spending and enhancing revenue collection.
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“World Bank. 2021. Timor-Leste Public Expenditure Review: Changing Course Towards Better and More Sustainable Spending. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/36502 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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Publication Timor-Leste Social Assistance : Public Expenditure and Program Performance Report(Washington, DC, 2013-06-24)The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste is a young, post-conflict nation endowed with significant oil revenues. Timor-Leste has one of the highest birth rates in the world (2.41 percent population growth) with over 44 percent of the population below 15 years of age (Timor-Leste Census, 2010). Since the 2006 crisis, the Government of Timor-Leste has shown a clear commitment to social assistance. Globally, poverty persistence is closely related to major life-cycle disadvantages resulting in low human capital outcomes, and yet large-scale poverty remains unaddressed by current social protection efforts. This expenditure review and performance evaluation report is part of the technical assistance provided to Timor-Leste's Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) in response to the lack of any national level evaluation of the safety nets system since its inception. 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The report is organized as follows: chapter one gives context, purpose and conceptual framework. Chapter two describes the attributes of the poorest 40 percent and the main vulnerabilities and risks that low-income families in Timor-Leste face. Chapter three provides a historical overview of the social assistance policy and programs that emerged after the 2006-2007 conflict. A summary of levels and trends in aggregate public expenditure on safety nets, composition of spending as well as program-specific budget analysis is presented in chapter four. Chapter five assesses performance of the safety nets by analyzing coverage, targeting effectiveness, and generosity. Chapter six examines impact and targeting efficiency using simulation techniques. Chapter seven assesses implementation capacity, and business processes, and in particular, the following: ID systems, enrollment, payments arrangements and monitoring and evaluation. 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It was structured around four strategy areas: (i) promoting strong, sustainable, high quality and pro-poor economic growth, (ii) significantly improving access of the entire population to basic social services, (iii) improving infrastructure, and (iv) promoting good governance. The analysis of budgetary expenditure in the priority sectors during the period 2006-08, shows that this expenditure was far below the envisaged envelopes. The achievement rates for road programs fluctuate between 0 percent and 55 percent. This may partly explain the slow progress towards achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs).Publication Mongolia - Public Expenditure and Financial Management Review : Bridging the Public Expenditure Management Gap(Washington, DC, 2002-06)Mongolia has realized important progress toward more efficient and sustainable public finances over the last decade. However, weaknesses in the institutional and structural reform agenda threaten Mongolia's fiscal balances. The government proposes to grow at 6 percent. This report discusses policy measures needed to ensure success of government programs. Following the introduction, chapter 2 discusses past performance and provides a brief discussion of recent economic and social developments. Chapter 3 discusses future challenges, analyzes the main sources of fiscal pressure on Mongolia's budget, and proposes a sustainable macroeconomic reform path. Chapter 4 evaluates budget execution processes. Chapter 5 discusses the impact of intergovernmental fiscal relations on fiscal balances, and service delivery. Chapter 6 discusses governance. Chapter 7 analyzes budget formulation and policy coordination processes. Chapter 8 discuses public sector resource allocations, with particular emphasis on education, health, and the environment sectors. The report concludes by discussing the importance of putting into place measures to bridge the gap between existing public expenditure management practices and those needed to improve the overall performance of the Mongolian public sector, and proposes a framework within which this can be achieved.Publication Kazakhstan : Public Expenditure Review, Volume 1. Summary Report(Washington, DC, 2000-06-27)The report is the public expenditure review for Kazakhstan, and builds upon previous work on the country's transition experience to a market-oriented economy, and of recent public sector reforms. It comprises three volumes, namely, the Summary Report, the Main Report, and Annexes and Statistical Appendix, aiming at identifying key public expenditure issues, suggesting also, possible strategies, and policy options. Although the country achieved significant progress in liberalizing, and stabilizing the economy, including implementing institutional reforms to discipline public expenditures, outstanding issues remain, particularly regarding the persistent fiscal imbalance, the deficient domestic resource mobilization management, unreliable expenditure prioritization, and inefficient budgetary execution. The report suggests strategy options, and policy reforms that should, through a programmed deficit reduction, attain fiscal sustainability. These options address: the rationalization of domestic resource mobilization, mainly oil/gas rents to preserve domestic savings, capital, and development of non-oil sectors; the need for governmental action on program priority, such as budgeting, and performance evaluation; strengthening intergovernmental relations, through improved fiscal decentralization, increased local accountability, and tax reforms; and, creating the initiative for private participation.
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