The training course “Public Finance Management” was organized by the National Academy for Finance and Economics of the Netherlands and EVD International Business and Cooperation under the MATRA programme of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The objective of the MATRA Training for European Cooperation (MTEC) training courses is to train public administrators and officials on matters relevant to joining the EU and establishing interrelations between specialists of the European countries and countries of the transitory period.    

This time Hague hosted a training for 50 public servants working in the public finance management sphere from 11 countries (Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, Romania, Ukraine, Croatia).

Matters of organization of financial and audit functions in the system of ministries of the Netherlands, budget infrastructure and budget policy, budget programming, scrutiny of budget proposals and information system used at all stages of the budget process were presented to the trainees.

Workshops for budget process simulation assisted representatives of different countries to develop practical skills of substantiation of budget proposals, their scrutiny and discussion with the MoF specialists the role of whom was played by other trainees.   

Considerable attention was paid to specific tools of public finance management – to policy assessment and risk management actively applied in the EU member states.

Role, place, function and structure of stakeholders of the budget process and tax administration were reviewed. Training participants got acquainted with the main taxation principles used in the Netherlands to natural persons’ income, legal persons’ income, and to value added tax, administration of taxes and other payments. The participants were impressed with the presentation of proactive role of the Tax and Customs Administration of the Netherlands (DTCA) in communicating with the public and informing the latter, as well as with the treatment of tax payers as clients.    

The Netherlanders shared experience in building internal control based on the COSO model and told about single (horizontal) monitoring and tax audit in the course of which indirect methods of identification of taxation base are used.  

Two training days were devoted to important components of everyday activity of public servants – to development of communication skills, preparation of presentations and speeches, holding discussions and debates. All listeners participated in this interactive activity.

Certificates about successful completion of training were received by representatives of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Victoriya Yarynich and Leonid Zabara, Ministry of Finance of Ukraine – Ivan Yuryk and Serhii Lysunya, the MainCRO of Ukraine – Maryna Barynina and Serhii Chornutskyi. 

(15 July 2009)