Posted by Mr. Dimitar Radev.
The first meeting of the OECD-MENA network of Senior Budget Officials took place in Cairo, Egypt on 24-25 November 2008. The meeting’s main focus was on implementing performance budgeting, this subject being, as specified in the distributed agenda, the top priority selected by MENA-SBO delegates.
Such a choice might be somewhat surprising for the outside observers, having in mind the region’s mixed results in budget modernization. However, it clearly indicates the interest of increasing number of countries in introducing advanced budget reforms, a process that needs to be properly managed, because of its complexity and associated risks.
In this context, the meeting’s agenda appropriately included presentations of relevant experiences of countries such as France, Canada, and Norway. The discussions rightly emphasized that these type of reforms require a gradual, well-sequenced approach and a number of prerequisites, including political commitment and firmly established basic PFM systems.
Detailed information on the meeting could be found on: Unclassified GOV/PGC/SBO/A(2008)8 Working Party of Senior Budget
