At of the launch of the Strategy for Management of Public Finances, Gonzato underlined the importance of this document, which lays down how financial resources are acquired, but also how the funds will be spent.
The ambassador underlined that the management of public finances is at the core of the European accession process, because this type of strategy cuts across many chapters.

“This in itself shows how important public fund management reforms are for good governance in the country, but also for the functioning of democracy. This is also reflected in the fact that the roadmaps for public administration reform, public finance management systems, are essential for the macroeconomic stability of the country and are reflected in the economic criteria that are monitored as part of the process. Albania has fared well in terms of its macrofiscal performance”, said Gonzato.

According to him, the EU has provided very important financial support and a very important part of this support is committed to public funds management systems.
“Last year, we disbursed 115 million euros in budget support. We are already in the final stages of negotiations for the new growth instrument that will also include further financing”, he added.
“Albania has made progress, but the reform of public finance management is an ongoing process and therefore I reiterate that it is part of the Growth Plan reform agenda. We have expressed concerns about the exclusive use of normative acts for budget review. This may be justified in crisis situations, but we are of the opinion that we should resort to the revision of the budget by procedures. The oversight of the parliament and the Supreme State Audit is also important. Its findings should be discussed and taken into account in the Assembly”, said Gonzato.
The ambassador also underlined the importance of strengthening supervision and monitoring in areas of fiscal risk.
“Measures need to be taken to expand the tax base by fighting informality and improving tax administration. We are very encouraged by the results of the fiscalization process and have encouraged you to officially adopt the medium-term revenue strategy that brings predictability to tax policy. The EU will continue to support you for the implementation of this important strategy”, he said.
/sm/