Nicolas Perez - Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso

AT THE BOOK FAIR, TOGETHER WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT LEGISLATIVE WORK

by Nicolas Perez | May 11, 2023 | Activities

The National Congress stand at the Buenos Aires International Book Fair was the venue for a meeting of parliamentary advisory and information organizations that presented their trajectory and challenges.

Natalia Laria, coordinator of Institutional and Parliamentary Relations of the OPC, joined Gustavo Gonzalez. director of Parliamentary Training of the Chamber of Deputies; Adrián Pagán, who holds the same position in the Senate; María Soledad Santini, from the Scientific Office of Legislative Advice and Alberto Della Bianca, from the Directorate of Parliamentary Information.

This group of entities provides key information to support the discussion, drafting and enactment of laws, with responsibilities as diverse as providing courses, researching comparative law, gathering technical-scientific information, or analyzing the fiscal impact of proposed legislation.

“Among our current challenges are to complete the formation of the body of analysts and the access to information of the Executive Branch”, said Laria during the event held on the afternoon of May 8 at the Congress stand, set up under the slogan “40 years of democracy”.

MEETING AT THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

by Nicolas Perez | May 3, 2023 | Activities

Authorities of the Argentine Congressional Budget Office accepted the invitation of the Ombudsman for Children and Adolescents, Marisa Graham and her Deputy, Juan Facundo Hernández, to analyze at the headquarters of the Ombudsman’s Office, the possibility of joint work, as well as the technical criteria for reading the budget and its execution.

Through the Directorate of Studies, Analysis and Evaluation, the OPC monitors budgetary issues involving the same target population: children and adolescents.

On May 22, the OPC will hold a workshop for parliamentary advisors on how to read the data monitor “Budgetary actions for children and adolescents”.

ECONOMIC-FINANCIAL STUDY ON PUBLIC ENTITIES EXCLUDED FROM THE NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

by Nicolas Perez | May 3, 2023 | Specific Budget Issues

In fiscal year 2022, the national agencies identified as “Other Entities” recorded expenditures equivalent to 1.55% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and resources representing 1.73% of GDP, thus improving the result of the previous year, in which this subsector also recorded higher revenue than expenditures.
As of fiscal year 2020, the subsector was in surplus in the order of 0.2% of GDP given the positive results of the Federal Administration of Public Revenues (AFIP) and the National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners (INSSJP).
There was a gradual but systematic decrease in the subsector’s expenditures over the last ten years, from 1.77% of GDP in 2012 to 1.55% in 2022, basically due to the fall in staffing and personnel expenses and transfers to the private sector to provide services to INSSJP beneficiaries.
In the last decade, INSSJP and AFIP accounted for an average of 65% and 27%, respectively, of the subsector’s revenues.
Other Entities together employ almost 38,000 employees, 8% of the total staff of the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch combined, a figure that decreased in the last decade.
This subsector has its own systems to generate accounting, financial and budgetary information, and the obligation to periodically submit information to the Ministry of Treasury, a duty that in some cases is partially fulfilled.
The large budgetary systems (SIFEP or SIDIF) do not provide information on the recipients of transfers to private parties or on the progress in the physical execution of their budgets.
As of 2002, “Other Entities” were excluded from the scope of the National Budget Law

ECONOMIC-FINANCIAL STUDY ON PUBLIC ENTITIES EXCLUDED FROM THE NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

OPC STRENGTHENS LINKS WITH PARLIAMENTARY ADVISORS AND LAUNCHES REDESIGNED WEBSITE

by Nicolas Perez | May 2, 2023 | Activities

On Thursday, April 27, the OPC held the first of the three meetings scheduled with advisors of the Budget and Finance Committees of the Chambers of Deputies and the Senate of the Nation to analyze issues on a joint work agenda.

During the meeting, the OPC Interim Director, María Eugenia David du Mutel de Pierrepont, shared with the representatives of both Chambers proposals included in the annual work plan and presented the redesigned web page.

The redesign of the OPC web page aims at facilitating the browsing and analysis of the reports, an input for the legislative debate. The sequence of meetings was planned to strengthen communication with the advisors, to know their expectations and to reinforce the purpose of being an “efficient, responsible and useful body for the legislators”, as María Eugenia Pierrepont emphasized.

ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET EXECUTION – MARCH 2023

by Nicolas Perez | Apr 18, 2023 | Budget Execution

With a real fall in revenues and a cut in expenditures, during the first quarter of the year the financial deficit of the National Government was 7.4% higher in real terms than that of the first three months of 2022.
Revenues fell 9.5% YoY, basically due to lower revenues from taxes related to foreign trade.
Export duties decreased 69.5% YoY, while the higher economic activity boosted VAT and check tax revenues.
Social Security contributions increased (3.2% YoY), boosted by the higher number of formal jobs.
Total expenditures contracted by 5.9% YoY, an adjustment that reached 8.7% YoY in primary expenditures, mainly driven by lower energy subsidies and capital transfers to housing trust funds.
In a context of lower expenditures, interest payments rose 22.0% YoY.
The primary result was negative by ARS758.991 billion, 3.3% lower than the deficit reached a year earlier. The economic deficit was ARS1,139.553 billion.
As of March 31, 20% of the budget appropriation was accrued, a proportion surpassed by debt interest, transportation subsidies and social programs.
The budget appropriation increased by ARS108.036 billion over the amount budgeted at the beginning of the fiscal year.

PUBLIC DEBT OPERATIONS – MARCH 2023

by Nicolas Perez | Apr 18, 2023 | Public Debt Operations

In March, three securities auctions were held. The swap of debt in pesos maturing in June 2023 had an acceptance rate of 58%.
The two cash-based auctions resulted in the placement of government securities payable in pesos for ARS727.888 billion.
Net IMF financing for the month was USD2.671 billion.
Principal payments of USD163 million were made to Paris Club member countries.
There were net placements of Temporary Advances (TA) for ARS130 billion, the stock increased to ARS2.92 trillion.