Business Continuity Planning for Government Cash and Debt Management

Posted by Emre Balibek, Ian Storkey, and H. Hakan Yavuz^[1]

Cash and debt management operations are core “transactional” functions of public financial management. These functions, by their nature, are exposed to a complex set of operational risks. Business disruptions to government cash and debt management operations can have spill-over effects on the delivery of government services and prevent the efficient functioning of financial markets. For example, a government bond auction that fails because of an outage in the electronic auction platform, may have serious financial and/or reputational consequences for a nation’s financial system.

Coherent Policy, Planning, and Performance for Delivering the SDGs

Posted by David Fellows^[1]         

This is an extraordinarily important time for coherent policy, planning, and performance - the “3 Ps” – for delivering the SDGs and other core public policy objectives.

A Review of Academic Studies of Gender Budgeting

Posted by Tobias Polzer, Isabella M. Nolte, and Johann Seiwald^[1]

Gender budgeting has not only encouraged countries to adopt reforms but also researchers to undertake studies and publish articles. A recent study[2] conducts a systematic literature review in peer reviewed journals covering 78 studies beginning in the 1990s. It seeks to elicit avenues for advancing gender budgeting.

Implementation of Green Budgeting in EU Countries

Posted by Elva Bova and Simona Pojar^[1]

As many EU Member States are taking action to green their economies, how green are their budgets?

Technology Can Level the Playing Field for Disabled People in the Workforce

Posted by Talal Rafi¹

• One in six people worldwide have a disability – and faces economic exclusion.
• Ensuring digital transformation includes disabled people also brings larger economic benefits.
• Technology in the areas of edtech, fintech, remote working and networking can all further inclusion.

Exploring the Unknown - How Asset Maps Can Transform Public Financial Management

Illustration by Urban 3.
Posted by Dag Detter^[1]

Governments around the world, and at every level (national, regional, local) own assets of immense economic value – not the least real estate - without realising it. What’s out of sight is out of mind and out of budget - and so this vast wealth is excluded from the calculus of government financial decision-making. An Asset Map offers a simple way of demonstrating the truth of this proposition, in any city, region or country.

Gender Budgeting in Latin America: Current Practices and Looking Forward

Posted by Virginia Alonso, Laura Gores, Lorena Rivero, Laura Torrent, Lorena Barba, and Raquel Coello[1]

Gender inequality, already high in Latin America, has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to growing inequality, policy action is needed and the use of gender-responsive budgeting tools can help identify gender gaps in policy responses and better target spending allocations and revenue measures. To support these efforts the IMF and UN Women have joined together to provide a workshop for Ministries of Finance and government agencies for women in Latin America (July 6-9, 2021). The event focused on introducing and strengthening gender budgeting (GB) tools.

German State of Hesse Tests the Suitability of IPSAS

Posted by Ulrich Kirchmann and Sagé de Clerck^[1]

The German state of Hesse has published a one-off set of illustrative financial statements for the fiscal year 2019 that comply with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs). The objective was to test the applicability of IPSAS compared to the accrual-based accounting standards currently applied by the state. This experiment enriches the dialog on whether IPSAS is an appropriate basis for developing European Public Accounting Standards (EPSAS), as well as the long-standing debate on cash versus accrual accounting in Germany.

”Green PFM” –IMF Staff Approach to Climate-Sensitive Management of Public Finances

Posted by Manal Fouad, Fabien Gonguet, and Claude Wendling^[1]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has just published a new note on “Climate-Sensitive Management of Public Finances – “Green PFM”. This note is the second instalment in the IMF Staff Climate Note series, which was inaugurated with a note on “Proposal for an International Carbon Price Floor among Large Emitters” published in June 2021.

Maldives Demonstrates Strong Commitment to Enhancing Fiscal Transparency

Post by Saruvash Adam and Sandeep Saxena^[1]

The Maldives is the first small island state, and after Philippines the second Asian country, to have undertaken a Fiscal Transparency Evaluation (FTE). The FTE was conducted as part of ongoing efforts by the Maldives government to strengthen public financial management. In recent years, the country has pushed for fiscal transparency with the introduction and regular publication of several reports on a wide range of fiscal matters. The objective for the FTE was to take stock of the current situation and identify opportunities for further improvements.