2020 budget adopted: A step on the long way to substantial budget control

On behalf of the CRTA initiative Open Parliament, we positively evaluate the fact that the draft Budget Law was submitted to Parliament within the legally prescribed deadline, and that reasonable time for discussion in plenary was provided in accordance with the procedures foreseen by the law and the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly.

Among 46 recommendations prepared by CRTA aiming to improve the work of the National Assembly from June last year, four concern the procedures for adoption and control of the budget. By providing sufficient time for the MPs to get acquainted to the draft budget before the plenary debate, as well as twice the time for discussing the state budget in the plenary, two of the four mentioned recommendations were met.

For a quality and comprehensive discussion about the budget, it is necessary to further improve the procedure for adopting the Budget Law and the Law on Final Statement for the Budget. Believing that the budget cannot be adequately planned without regular consideration of the final statements, which has not been done for the last 17 years, we urge the National Assembly to adopt our remaining recommendations.

Moreover, we insist that a procedure to amend the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly be initiated, which would definitely ensure that the Draft Budget Law and related laws cannot be considered in a joint debate together with other items on the agenda.