Center for Development of Non Profit Sector and organization Transparency Serbia

Invite you to attend press conference

„Line 481 – Budget donations to non governmental organizations, political parties, religious communities and sports organizations“

Which will take place in Belgrade, Media Center, Milentija Popovi ća street 9 (Sava Centar) December 3rd 2007 with the beginning at 12 o'clock

 

12.00- 12.10 Introduction,

Jasna Filipovi ć , Director of Center for Development of Non profit sector

 

12.10- 12.20 Financing of political parties from the budget in Serbia-

practice and problems observed,

Prof. Vladimir Goati, President of Transparency Serbia

 

•  How are budget assets allocated to non governmental organizations, sport organizations and religious communities and what should be done to make process of allocation more transparent and more consistent

Nemanja Nenadic, Program Director of Transparency Serbia

 

12.35- 12.45 Questions and discussion

For any further information please do not hesitate to contact Miss Bojana Medenica on phone number 303 38 27 or by e-mail ts@transparentnost.org.yu

Translation not provided

Short introduction to themes:

„Donations to non governmental organizations“from budget (line 481)

Budget of the Republic of Serbia is growing larger and getting more detail every year. However, many of his details still aren't clear enough to tax payers and the terminology which is used in it sometimes can lead reader to wrong track. One example of that kind is „line 481“of the budget classification which is named „donations to nongovernmental organizations“. In this budget line, for which e.g. during 2006 is separated totally 42.238.218 € recorded are budget donations for:

Due to that, wrong picture in public is created about financing of organizations, in Serbian public known as non-governmental organizations, in significant amount from the budget. Significantly larger problem from possible wrong understanding of this kind is that available information on allocation of money from this budget line aren't represented in proper way in Laws on Budget. Noticeable is that in tranches of certain ministries and state organs legal bases for payment of assets are stated, and in some of them not, that in some places money allocated from this budget line is stated and in some not, that in certain tranches organizations which will receive budget assets are named and elsewhere there are no information on the basis of which those organizations could be identified etc.

All those factors make procedure of tax payers' assets allocation insufficiently transparent and complicate possibility of citizens to evaluate if the budget assets are used efficiently and for specific purposes.

Group of non-governmental organizations, (Center for development of Non profit Sector and Transparency Serbia from Belgrade, as well as Uzice Center for Human Rights and Democracy, Citizens' Library - „Prigos“ from Pirot, Toplica Center for Democracy and Human Rights from Prokuplje, Citizens' association „Svetionik“ from Loznica, Resurs Center- Majdanpek, FORUM IURIS from Novi Sad, Citizens' Council – Kraljevo and Timoc Club - Knjazevac ) , are aware of previously stated problems, associated on the project „Line 481“ in order to influence public plead for status improvement.

As part of this project we prepared analysis of recent practice of allocation of budget assets for the purpose of donations to non-governmental organizations, and prepared prepositions for state organs on how to remove those problems in the process of budget adoption for 2008 and years to follow. Results of analysis and prepositions will be presented at the press conference in Belgrade 3 December 2008.

Budget donations to political parties

Significant part of money from budget line „481“(„donations to non-governmental organizations“) is allocated for financing of regular work of political parties which are represented in parliaments, as well as for financing of election campaigns. The fact is that for this donations firm legal basis exist (Law on Financing of Political Parties) which prescribes shares in the budget of the Republic, provinces and municipalities which should be separated for financing of parties and participants at the elections.

However, sole existence of legal bases doesn't mean that in practice there are no problems. With one of those problems public is partially introduced, on the basis of data which Transparency – Serbia published at the press conference 20 September 2007, and according to which in budget for 2006, donations to political parties were overpaid for 62 million of dinars then prescribed by the Law on Financing of Political Parties. Considering that after initiative of non-governmental sector and media attention state organs (Ministry of Finances and Finance Committee of the National Assembly) undertook certain steps to resolve this problem, at the press conference we will speak about possible solutions, especially regarding process of adoption of the budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2008 and process of amendments to the Law on Budget System.

At the press conference the word will also be about limitations of existing reporting and control of assets spending.

Program budget and citizens' involving into monitoring of making and execution of budget

Fact is that significant part of the budget of the Republic of Serbia for next year is made by program principle which represents one of the most important innovations that should provide better insight of the citizens into spending public assets and whose goals will be achieved by their use. At the press conference advantages of program budget will be emphasized at the concrete example of assets from the line „481 – donations to non-governmental organizations“.

However, long way is ahead of us, from greater transparency to greater possibility of citizens' influence to creation of budget. Coalition of non-governmental organizations gathered on this project will present at the press conference, among other things, prepositions which should provide more efficient influence on spending the budget assets to citizens.

In years to come Budget execution control will be in the hands of State Audit Institution. We will point out at the press conference models of future cooperation between organizations of civil society and this important institution whose establishing is in progress, above all regarding use of the assets from budget line 481 – donations to non governmental organizations.