Knowledge Sharing on the Costing of Structural Reforms: Kosovo* (By Invitation)

Oct 19 – 20, 2021 Pristina, Kosovo* No Fee
Oct 18, 2021
English, Albanian

This learning event will be delivered as a continuation of the CEF’s support to the European Union candidate and potential candidate countries in preparation of their Economic Reform Programmes (ERP) for the 2022 – 2024 period. It is aimed at building capacities of line ministries to estimate implementation costs and financing resources of drafted structural reforms, while ensuring alignment with the latest European Commission’s Guidelines for the ERP preparation (published in June 2021).

About this learning event

Structural reform measures outlined in the ERPs are set to tackle the most important structural obstacles to the competitiveness and inclusive growth of a country.

By implementing these structural reforms, countries aspire to embrace the opportunities and minimize the potential negative implications of such transformations. In the situation where macro-fiscal stability and fiscal risks are potentially disrupted by a substantial number of policy areas newly introduced to the ERP, it is even more important that all measures are well prioritized and realistically costed and funded.

The objective of this event is to provide a platform for assessing the scope and accuracy of envisaged implementation costs and funding sources for the measures proposed for inclusion in the 2022 – 2024 ERP, in line with the Methodological Guidance for Costing of Structural Reforms (Costing Guidance) and the European Commission‘s Guidance for the 2022 – 2024 ERP, while the descriptions of these measures will be assessed if they provide sufficient information for doing proper costing.

What will you learn 

This event will be highly participatory and oriented towards practical implementation of the Costing Guidance to structural reforms to be included in the next ERP. By attending it, the participants will have a possibility to jointly work with lecturing experts and peers form other institutions involved in ERP preparation, to assess and determine the prospects for overcoming the main costing challenges.

In particular, participants will have the opportunity to strengthen their skills needed for assessing fiscal implications of structural reforms by:

  • Learning about the novelties from the European Commission‘s Guidance for the ERP 2022-2024 and how they influence the ERP preparation process
  • Refreshing the knowledge about the Methodological Guidance for Costing of Structural Reforms and how to practically implement it on the draft measures
  • Appraising how well articulated measures’ description and sequencing can contribute to realistic costs and secured funding for their implementation
  • Assessing how to streamline the process of cooperation and information exchange between line ministries, the Ministry of Finance Budget Department, and the ERP Coordinator.

Who should attend

Invited to participate are the officials involved in the design, costing and budgeting of structural reforms outlined in the ERP, which include:  

  • National ERP Coordinator and Coordinator for the ERP Chapter 3 on Structural Reforms 
  • Members of the working group for the ERP preparation 
  • Officials working at the finance and policy departments of line ministries 
  • Officials working at the budget department of the Ministry of Finance 
  • Policy planning experts from the government’s policy coordination body and/or Prime Ministers’ office.

Faculty

The learning initiative will be delivered by:

  • Janez Šušteršič, CEF Associate Fellow, Professor of Economic Policy, Former Minister of Finance, Slovenia
  • Valmira Rexhëbeqaj, CEF Expert, Public Financial Management Independent Consultant 

Practical information

Applications need to be submitted by October 15, 2021, via the online application form. Applications will soon open via an online form.

  • The learning event will feature 2 face-to-face meeting days in Prishtina (October 19 and 20). Live participation is limited to the number of people allowed in the hall following Covid rules during that period.

  • During both days will have three 1,5 hour meetings for groups of ministries (based on connections in policy areas). Representatives from each ministry will be invited to join us for a specific meeting to discuss their proposals for ERP measures.

  • More information and a detailed schedule will follow after registering for the event.

  • The event will be held in Albanian and English language.

  • No participation fee will be charged.

  • The event will take place at the Hotel International Prishtina

 

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*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

Partners

This event is delivered as part of the EU funded multi-country project “Strengthening Line Ministries’ Capacities to Assess Fiscal Implications of Structural Reforms” implemented by the Center of Excellence in Finance.

Funded by the European Union