Afghanistan : Public Financial Management Performance Assessment

Afghanistan's public financial management (PFM) system achieved significant improvements between June 2005 and December 2007. Among 28 performance indicators, 18 indicators improved, two indicators deteriorated, and eight indicators remained unchanged. Among three indicators of donor practices, two deteriorated and one remained unchanged. In relation to other countries for which Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessments have been conducted, Afghanistan's ratings are better than the average for other low-income countries and in some areas better than the average for middle-income countries. The operating budget is credible as funding from domestic revenues and donors has been stable. However, the gap between the budget and realization remains significant in the development budget expenditures. The comprehensiveness of the budget is generally good, although reporting and especially transparency should be improved. However, fiscal risk oversight of state-owned enterprises and municipalities is practically non-existent and thus problematic. The budget process is based on multi-year fiscal planning and comparatively detailed budgeting at the level of ministries and agencies, but so far has lacked the necessary strategic prioritizations of resources by the cabinet early in the process. Payroll processing is highly decentralized which contributes to timely updates of payroll and reconciliation of personnel and payroll records. Access to a number of provinces by the external auditor and the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) monitoring agent is hampered by security concerns. External audit of donor funding is conducted according to acceptable standards, but the quality of review of the annual budget statement and of regulatory audits needs to be improved. Arrangements are in place for the effective internal audit of treasury and revenue operations of government, but capacity for internal audit in the line ministries is still very weak.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English
Published:	Washington, DC 2008-06
Subjects:	ACCOUNTING, ACCOUNTING POLICIES, ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, ADB, APPROPRIATIONS, ASSETS, AUDIT CASE SELECTION SYSTEM, AUDIT STRATEGY, AUDITING, AUTHORITY, BANK OF THAILAND, BANKRUPTCY, BUDGET DEFICITS, BUDGET MANAGEMENT, BUDGET PROCESS, BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS, CASH FLOWS, CASH MANAGEMENT, CENTRAL AGENCIES, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE COLLECTION, CENTRAL TRANSFERS, CONSERVATISM, CONSTITUTION, CORPORATE INCOME TAX, CORRUPTION, DEBT SERVICE, DECENTRALIZATION, DECENTRALIZATION FRAMEWORK, DECENTRALIZATION REFORMS, DECISION MAKING, DEVOLUTION, DISTRICTS, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC STABILITY, EQUALIZATION, EVASION, EXECUTIVE AGENCIES, EXPENDITURE, EXPENDITURE ASSIGNMENT, EXPENDITURE MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL REPORTING, FINANCIAL SYSTEM, FISCAL, FISCAL BALANCE, FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION, FISCAL DEFICITS, FISCAL DISCIPLINE, FISCAL EXPANSION, FISCAL MANAGEMENT, FISCAL PERFORMANCE, FISCAL POLICIES, FISCAL POLICY, FISCAL REFORMS, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY, FISCAL TRANSPARENCY, FISCAL YEAR, FOREIGN BORROWING, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, GAAP, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, GOVERNMENT BORROWING, GOVERNMENT DEBT, GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES, GOVERNMENT POLICIES, GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, GOVERNMENT REVENUE, GOVERNMENT REVENUES, GOVERNMENT SPENDING, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, HEALTH SERVICES, HUMAN RESOURCE, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, INCOME, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INCOME INEQUALITY, INFLATION, INSTITUTIONAL CONSTRAINTS, INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS, INSTITUTIONAL WEAKNESSES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFER, INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFERS, INVESTMENT SPENDING, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, LEGAL FRAMEWORK, LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY, LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS, LOCAL AUTONOMY, LOCAL DECISION MAKING, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT BORROWING, LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LOCAL REVENUE, MINISTRY OF FINANCE, MUNICIPAL REVENUES, MUNICIPALITIES, NATIONAL DECENTRALIZATION ACT, NATIONAL DECENTRALIZATION COMMITTEE, NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, POLICY MAKERS, POLITICIANS, POVERTY ALLEVIATION, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRODUCTIVITY, PROJECT FINANCE, PROJECT GRANTS, PROPERTY TAXES, PUBLIC DEBT, PUBLIC DEBT MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, PUBLIC FINANCE, PUBLIC FINANCES, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC INVESTMENT, PUBLIC RESOURCES, PUBLIC SECTOR, PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM, PUBLIC SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS, REAL ECONOMIC GROWTH, REHABILITATION, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, REVENUE ADMINISTRATION, REVENUE COLLECTION, REVENUE GROWTH, REVENUE MOBILIZATION, REVENUE SOURCES, RISK MANAGEMENT, SALES TAXES, SAVINGS, SOCIAL SECTORS, SOCIAL SECURITY, STATE ENTERPRISES, STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES, STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES, TAX ADMINISTRATION, TAX ARREARS, TAX BURDEN, TAX COLLECTION, TAX COLLECTIONS, TAX POLICY, TAX RATES, TAX REFORMS, TAX REVENUES, TAX SYSTEM, TAXPAYER COMPLIANCE, TRADEOFFS, TRANSPORT, URBAN DEVELOPMENT, WAGESPUBLIC FINANCE, FISCAL ADJUSTMENTS, ECONOMIC CRISIS, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, ECONOMIC STABILIZATION, DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS, BUDGETARY PROCESS, SOCIAL ACTION, REFORM POLICY, HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/06/9655873/afghanistan-public-financial-management-performance-assessment https://hdl.handle.net/10986/8062
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