- OVERVIEW
- AGENDA
- SPEAKERS
Spending reviews promote transparency and accountability and enable governments to make more informed decisions about budget allocations. Ultimately, they contribute to more efficient use of public funds, leading to improved public service delivery, and better outcomes for citizens. The World Bank is committed to supporting the region in strengthening institutional frameworks for fiscal policy, with the support from the European Union Trust Fund on Strengthening Fiscal Governance in the Western Balkan Countries.
A two-day conference on Spending Reviews as a Tool to Strengthen Fiscal Governance with Ministries of Finance and State Audit Offices from the Western Balkans will be held on April 3-4, 2024, in Vienna, Austria. The conference will convene senior officials on fiscal policy, budgeting, and external audits from the Western Balkans, the World Bank, European Commission, OECD, spending review practitioners from selected EU countries, and other development partners. The objective is to generate and share knowledge on practical approaches to design, conduct and implement the results of spending reviews, and their integration into the budgetary processes.
When: Apr 3-4, 2024
Where: Vienna, Praterstrasse 31/1
April 3, 2024, Wednesday |
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9:30-10:00 |
Introductory speeches and welcome |
Xiaoqing Yu, Country Director, World Bank Uwe Stamm, Head of Unit, DG ECFIN, European Commission |
10:00-11:00 |
Spending reviews: theory, practice and recent developments through EU initiatives |
Martijn Hoogeland, Statistical and Policy Analyst, European Commission, DG ECFIN |
11:00-11:15 |
Break |
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11:15-12:15 |
Spending Reviews in OECD Countries: What Approaches and Lessons Learned |
Álfrún Tryggvadottir, Lead for Spending Reviews and Performance Budgeting, OECD |
12:15-12:30 |
Discussion |
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12:30-13:15 |
Spending Reviews and Public Finance Reviews: Approaches and Lessons Learned |
Emilia Skrok, Practice Manager, World Bank |
13:15-13:30 |
Discussion |
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13:30-14:30 |
Lunch |
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14:30-15:30 |
Spending Reviews in EU Countries: - Denmark - Spain |
Lars Høgsbro Østergaard, Deputy Head of Division, Expenditure Division, Ministry of Finance, Denmark Jose Maria Casado, Head of the Evaluation Policies Division, the Spanish Independent Fiscal Authority for Fiscal responsibility Floor de Jager, Coordinating Advisor, Bureau of Strategic Analysis, Budget Inspectorate, Ministry of Finance, Netherlands Chair: Jasmin Chakeri, Practice Manager |
15:30-15:45 |
Discussion |
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15:45-16:00 |
Break |
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16:00-17:00 |
Spending Reviews in EU Countries: - Estonia - Slovakia |
Joonas Pärenson, Director of Strategy Department, Ministry of Economy and Communications, Estonia Martin Haluš, Director of Value for Money Department, Ministry of Finance, Slovakia Chair: Sanja Madzarevic Sujster, Senior Economist, World Bank |
17:00-17:15 |
Discussion |
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19:00 |
Formal dinner organized by the World Bank |
Restaurant Geschmacks-Tempel, Praterstrasse 56, Vienna |
April 4, 2024, Thursday |
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9:15-10:00 |
State of Public Finances in the Western Balkans and How to Identify Areas for Spending Review? |
Besart Myderrizi, Economist, World Bank Sanja Madzarevic-Sujster, Senior Economist, World Bank |
10:00-11:00 |
Practical Tools and Approaches to Inform Analysis in Spending Reviews |
Massimo Mastruzzi, Senior Economist, World Bank |
11:00-11:15 |
Discussion |
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11:15-11:30 |
Break |
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11:30-12:45 |
Spending Challenges in the Western Balkans: - Aleksandra Nakjeva-Ruzhin, Special Advisor, MOF, North Macedonia - Bojan Paunovic, Budget Director, MOF, Montenegro - Salvador Elmazi, Budget Director, MOF, Kosovo |
Panel of the country representatives Chair: Emilia Skrok, Practice Manager, World Bank |
12:45-13:00 |
Discussion |
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13:00-14:00 |
Lunch |
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14:00-14:45 |
How To Integrate Spending Reviews in the Budgetary Processes and Cycle? |
John Beazley, World Bank |
14:45-15:00 |
Discussion and Recap |
World Bank |
Date: April 03 - 04, 2024 ET
Location: Vienna