Developing countries including Ethiopia face budgetary defi cits that require to be minimized if not removed. Such defi cits involve a combination of fi scal discipline, eff ective revenue generation and strategic management of expenditure. Fiscal discipline refers to the practice of maintaining a responsible and sustainable approach to fi scal policies and management of public fi nances. In the developing countries this involves ensuring that the government revenues and expenditures are balanced. It means public funds have to be used effi ciently, eff ectively and transparently.
In other words, public expenditure should not be more than the revenues collected. Moreover, the expenditures have to be verifi ed by the concerned authorities, internal and external auditors. The slightest imbalance of resources has to be reported to the PMO and to the Parliament with measures to be taken.
The budgetary process should be established with the objective of precluding ways and means that cause budget defi cits. Unauthorized spending by executing and implementing agencies should entail penalties, suspensions and dismissal of offi cials responsible for the act. This is possible only if there is a clear and transparent budgetary process. Transparent and accountable budgeting process that involves comprehensive planning, realistic revenue projections and responsible expenditure allocations is vital.
In the planning process in Ethiopia, the Ministry of Planning ensures if the budget is balanced. This means that tax and other sources of revenue are absolutely reliable for fi nancing the expenditure of the government. Similarly, expenditures have to be checked for their reliability. Exaggerated expenditures lead to artifi cial budgetary defi cits. Both the revenue and expenditure have to be checked and rechecked for their reliability based on past performances in the country.
Another measure of transparency is public disclosure of budgetary information. If Ethiopian citizens are allowed to understand how public funds are allocated and used, they would be in a position to follow up programs and projects that interest them. This also indirectly helps spotting project expenditures that are not related to the needs of the citizens of the country. It also assists in minimizing budgetary defi cits in Ethiopia. This measure also enhances revenue generation in the country through tax reforms. The design and implementation of progressive tax reforms may broaden the tax base or the taxpayers.
It also enhances public compliance with the tax reform. This may include reducing tax exemptions and improving tax collection mechanisms. To facilitate the tax collection process it is important to make the concerned agencies in the country as effi cient as possible. Strengthening customs enforcement, for example, helps to reduce smuggling through improving trading facilities that boost external trade revenue.
The tax offi ce may explore opportunities to raise non-tax revenues such as fees, licenses and fi nes. To overcome budgetary defi cits, it is very essential to have strong fi scal discipline. One of the means to manage defi cits is expenditure control and public fi nance management. Implementing strict controls on government spending is also important. This includes setting realistic budget targets, enforcing expenditure limits and avoiding overspending. Unrealistic targets lead to unlimited expenditures and excessive spending. These open the door for corrupt practices where offi cials, directors, and managers collude in mismanaging fi nancial resources. To hide fi nancial abuses, periodic reports are fi lled with fake data and unverifi ed documents. In this process, public resources are directed to personal benefi ts.
Purchases may be made using false receipts upon which misleading reports are produced. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary to enforce fi scal discipline in all public and private enterprises. In short, fi scal discipline requires installing expenditure controls and transparency. Minimizing budgetary defi cits in Ethiopia requires appropriate system of debt management. Debt management presupposes debt sustainability and restructuring. Debt sustainability demands monitoring and evaluation of fi nancial expenditures by concerned agencies. This contributes to sustainability of debt.
This measure includes careful consideration of new debt issuance. It also requires refi nancing existing debts when favorable terms and conditions are available. This depends on fi nancial managers that are highly skilled and trustworthy in checking and controlling the manner in which debt is used. It may demand for debt restructuring that may lead to exploration of options and choices for debt restructuring. This also requires monitoring of the current budget in order to check if there are challenges to manage it.
This opens the options to negotiate with lenders and creditors to allow for more favorable terms and conditions. One area where budgetary defi cits may be minimized is public investment. Management of public investment requires prioritization of projects based on their economic impacts and contribution to long-term growth in Ethiopia. Projects may contribute to the generation of output, employment and income. They may also generate foreign exchange through export of agricultural and manufactured products.
However, whatever its contribution may be an investment must be analyzed in terms of its costs and benefi ts. Obviously, if the costs are greater than the benefi ts, Measures, mechanisms to minimize budgetary deficits investors would not be in a position to invest. They have to conduct thorough cost-benefi t analyses to ensure that they benefi t from the projects. These projects have to be aligned with the national development goals of Ethiopia.
Moreover, their fi nancial viability has to be tested by the concerned institutions before they are implemented. These institutions are also responsible for enhancing effi ciency with the goal of reducing wastage of resources. Among these institutions, the agency responsible for public administration focuses on the means of reducing the bureaucratic and operational costs and corruption. A very close study on the operations of the public services is a precondition for implementing and enforcing anticorruption measures that minimize leakages.
The minimization of fi nancial leakages guarantees the effi cient and eff ective use of public funds. Proper use of resources promotes economic growth and development in Ethiopia. In this respect, the promotion and development of the privates sector is critical. This requires the design and implementation of policies that foster the environment for private sector growth. However, studies on the problems faced by the private sector have to precede policies approved and implemented. This process leads to increased economic performance by the Ethiopian private sector that generates output, income and higher tax revenues.
The sector creates jobs by focusing on initiatives that stimulate employment generation in the country. This reduces social and economic dependency by the unemployed job seekers in Ethiopia. Policies should, therefore, focus on economic growth, development, foreign exchange generation and creation of employment opportunities. The promotion of social development in Ethiopia focuses on targeted safety-net spending. This presupposes redirecting social spending towards programs and projects that have a direct and measurable impact on poverty reduction and human development. In this respect, lessons have to be learnt from other developing countries that succeeded in promoting social development.
There are also lessons related to relevant and applicable subsidies that ensure real benefi ts to those in need. However, these subsidies need not create a signifi cant burden on the state budget. Follow up of the impact of the budget demands a realistic program of monitoring and evaluation. This, in turn, demands review of budget performance against planned targets. Conducting activities based on planned targets primarily involves the monitoring of revenue collection, expenditure patterns, and overall fi scal health.
Those responsible for revenue collection have to operate effi ciently and eff ectively without corruption and rent-seeking. Similarly, expenditure patterns have to be free from fraudulent and deceptive practices. Those who deal with purchases of goods and services have to operate openly and clearly. Internal and external audit services should be strengthened to ensure the fi scal health of enterprises. This presupposes an adaptive strategy based on the actual performance of the economic and fi nancial sectors in Ethiopia.
This strategy is designed by the agency responsible for planning and development in the country. This agency verifi es actual sector performance and reports to the higher bodies of the government. If the periodic review of economic performance is below targets set by the plan, there may be a need to look for external assistance. Performance may be low due to shortage of resources required by the sector agencies.
In this case, international assistance is an alternative to address fi scal challenges in Ethiopia. This, however, requires diplomatic skills to positively engage global organizations and donors for fi nancial and technical support. Seeking international assistance is crucial for enhancing economic development in the country. However, the terms and conditions of external assistance have to be in the interest of the country.
They should refl ect the country’s macroeconomic policies. Foreign assistance has to be consistent with the fi scal and monetary policies of the Ethiopian government. These policies have to complement each other for achieving macroeconomic stability.
Similarly, the impacts of exchange rate policies on infl ation and debt servicing have to be analyzed in advance. In conclusion, the minimizing of budgetary defi cits requires an all-inclusive and comprehensive approach as briefl y indicated above. It entails a cautious and careful balance between revenue generation, expenditure management, economic growth promotion, and eff ective fi scal policies.
The sources of revenues have to be realistic for ensuring a guaranteed source of income for the state. Expenditure management is absolutely necessary to avoid over-spending above the collected tax and other available sources of income. At the moment Ethiopia has to keep a balance between its revenue and planned expenditure. This helps to promote economic growth in line with the economic policies, plans and programs of the government. Implementation of these measures should be accompanied by continuous monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation to ensure their eff ectiveness in the economic environment of the country.
BY GETACHEW MINAS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 2 DECEMBER 2023
