Sub-national Public Finance Management in Myanmar

Transcription

1 Sub-national Public Finance Management in Myanmar Budget Brief Series: Tanintharyi No.2 June 218 Introduction 1. Public finance management will play an essential role in Tanintharyi s development, as well as the development of other States and Regions. Governments have to make difficult choices about how to allocate scarce resources to achieve societal goals for economic growth and poverty alleviation. Healthy public finance management is essential to ensure effective prioritization of government targets, efficiency and equity of spending. The aim of the budget brief series is to encourage continuous debate on policy priorities, state of public finance as well as to promote budget transparency and accountability. We hope the series to provide vital data analysis, which is fundamental to successful public finance management. This brief would not have been possible without cooperation from the Tanintharyi budget department, to which we extend our gratitude.1 2. This second Tanintharyi budget brief provides an update to an overview of the current fiscal environment in Tanintharyi reviews the composition of its revenue and expenditure, with inclusion of the Fiscal Year (FY) and the 218 interim budget. 1 The most significant recent development is a shift in Myanmar s budget calendar, from April-March to October-September. To accompany the change a 6-month interim budget was introduced to cover the period bridging the end of the FY on March 31, 218 and the new fiscal year, to commence on October 1, 218. The difficulties in implementing infrastructure projects hampered by the onset of the rainy season (during the months of June - October) is the commonly cited rationale behind the change. The shortened length of the interim budget means it isn t directly comparable to previous budget years. Tanintharyi s total expenditure growth has been moderate over the three recent full budget years growing to nearly MMK 17 billion or about 12, kyat per person. Budget expenditure trends are driven by transfers from the central Union government, which account for over 95 percent of the budget. Tanintharyi s own revenue outside of fiscal transfers is primarily from non-tax revenue sources collected by the Cabinet office and the municipal Development Affairs Organizations. Tax collection has been declining in nominal terms and makes only 1 percent of revenues with reliance on receipts from excise tax collected by the General Administration Department (GAD). The share of capital expenditure has grown considerably as a percentage of total expenditure. The largest share of resources is spent on region roads by the Department of Highways 57 percent of total budget followed by Electricity Distribution Enterprise and Regional Cabinet office at 8 and 2 percent share of the budget, respectively. Tanintharyi Budget department under the Ministry of Planning of Finance is a source for all budget figures. Budget department is not responsible for any of the statements in this report. Any errors are the responsibility of the authors.

2 Aggregate fiscal environment 3. Tanintharyi government expenditure has grown to nearly MMK 17, million in FY. This translates to MMK 12,146 on per capita basis. Expenditure during the interim budget is about half of that in , reflecting the shortened budget cycle. Own-source revenue that excluding central Union transfers remains low at about MMK 2,297 per citizen during the interim budget (Fig. 1). 2 The revenue in Figure 1 excludes Union transfers; Union general grant transfer, constituency development fund (CDF) 3, Union collected tax revenue sharing and other identifiable miscellaneous transfers. Million Kyat 225, 2, 175, 15, 125, 1, 75, 5, 25, Figure 1: Revenue and Expenditure Tanintharyi Region (PA) interim Kyat per capita 135, 12, 15, 9, 75, 6, 45, 3, 15, Revenue (excluding Union transfers) Expenditure Per capita revenue (excluding Union transfers) (RHS) Per capita expenditure (RHS) Note: Revenue figures exclude any transfers from the Union identified in budget available formats. Those are the Union general grant transfer, constituency development fund (CDF) and Union collected tax revenue-sharing and other miscellaneous transfers. 4. Fiscal expansion has been primarily financed through increased Union general grant transfers. Union general grant transfers have been consistently growing as a share of total available resources, making over 95 percent of the total in the 218 interim budget (Fig. 2). Traditionally, Union transfers to state/region governments have been negotiated functioning as deficit grants. Since the medium-term fiscal framework (MTFF) reforms in FY allocation of the general grant transfer has been formula-based. 4 Other current revenue made 1 and 3 percent in and 218 interim budgets, respectively Figure 2: Breakdown of fiscal resources % share of total in Tanintharyi Region Budget (BE) 218 interim Other Union transfers / CDF Other Current Revenue Tanintharyi Tax Revenue Union General Grant Transfer Other Union transfers are budgeted as/for: Poverty alleviation and development, Constituency Development Fund (CDF), township development affairs, housing project transfer, program for landless persons, receipts from SEEs. Starting FY only include CDF and Union collected tax revenue sharing. Capital revenue: although not visible on the graph, capital revenue makes less than.5% of revenues between and Central transfers include the Union general grant transfer, constituency development fund (CDF) and Union collected tax revenue sharing and other miscellaneous transfers. 3 Constituency Development Fund allocates 1 million Kyat to every township, to be managed by township Members of Parliament and is budgeted under the Tanintharyi Region Cabinet Office. 4 Application of the formula requires a deeper discussion. As it stands, the general grant transfer formula is based on the 6 equally weighted indicators: 1) state/region Population 2) state/region Poverty Index 3) state/region per Capita GDP 4) state/region Land Area 5) state/region Urban Population 6) Per Capita Tax Collection in state/region. 2

3 5. Available fiscal resources per citizen in Tanintharyi Region are higher than in most of other states and regions, however government expenditure accounts for a relatively low share of the economy (Fig.3-4). Currently, region and state governments in Myanmar aren t responsible for providing public services like education and health. However, they still shoulder responsibility for other essential public services and infrastructure investments. Kyat per capita 3, 25, 2, 15, 1, 5, Figure 3: Available fiscal resources Across states and regions, BE 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% Figure 4: Aggregate expenditure % of GDP in Tanintharyi Region (PA) interim 6. The overall balances have been consistently kept over zero (Fig. 5). The overall balance as a share of GDP varied from.14 percent to.39 percent within 215 to 218. Despite rapid increases in spending, the government has maintained a modest recurrent deficit recurrent revenue covering recurrent expenditure (Fig. 6). Million Kyat Figure 5: Overall balance, Post-Union General grant transfer Figure 6: Fiscal balances, Pre-Union General grant transfer %of GDP in Tanintharyi Region 16, 14, 12, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, (PA) interim -1% -2% -3% -4% -5% (PA) interim Overall balance Recurrent balance 7. Nearly 7 percent of the total budget in was executed in the final quarter (Fig. 7). Only 8 percent of total planned expenditure was executed during the first half of the fiscal year, with the remaining 92 percent spent in third and fourth quarters. March of 218 alone, the last month of the fiscal year, has accounted for 5 percent of planned total budget expenditure 5 times higher than expenditure during the first month of the fiscal year (Fig. 8). 5 There could be numerous contributing factors to late budget execution. Rainy season during midmonths of the fiscal year provides difficulties in executing infrastructure investments. Delays could also occur due to challenges in procurement. Figure 8 suggests that timing of fund disbursement could play a role in delaying budget execution. Nearly half of the Union general grant transfer, hence nearly half of the budget, was disbursed 3 months before the end of the fiscal year. It is unclear what impact this may have on the quality of budgeting, and how timing of fund disbursement will change with the change to the fiscal year calendar. 5 Data in Figure 8 reflects actual cash flows in and may slightly differ from revised estimate figures presented elsewhere in the brief. 3

4 Figure 7: Budget execution By quarter as a share of total, Tanintharyi Region Budget % 5% Million Kyat 1, 8, 6, Figure 8: Monthly revenue and expenditure Tanintharyi Region, % 23% 4, 2, First Quarter Third Quarter Second Quarter Fourth Quarter Union General Grant Transfer Other Revenue Expenditure Revenue performance 8. Nearly all of the revenue in Tanintharyi budget is classified as current revenue. Although capital revenue is occasionally recorded on budget books, it s negligible in size and hence not explored in this brief. Current revenue can be characterized as tax and non-tax of own revenue collection, and central Union transfers (Table 1). What is referred to as "own" revenue excludes the Union general grant transfer, Community Development Fund (CDF), Union collected tax revenue sharing and other ad-hoc transfers prior to FY. While Union collected shared taxes are collected within Tanintharyi borders they are fully administered by the Union government and are treated as transfers from the center. Table 1: Current revenue Tanintharyi Region Union general grant transfer Transfers from Union Constituency Development Fund (CDF), other ad-hoc transfers Union tax revenue sharing: commercial tax, income tax, special goods tax, and stamp duty tax Own revenue Non-tax Tax Fees, penalties etc. State taxes: Land tax, excise tax, property tax, other taxes under Schedule 5 of the Constitution 8 in total 9. Union general grant transfer contributes to most of Tanintharyi s revenue while own revenue tax receipts account for about 1 percent of resources (Fig.9A). Other current revenue outside of the identifiable Union transfers and own taxes was projected to grow 3-fold between and fiscal years (Fig.9B). Available budget formats pose challenges to more detailed data analysis on revenue performance. For example, it is difficult to identify the source of the projected increase under current revenue in FY. These receipts are classified under other current revenue of the regional Cabinet Office. They may include receipts from fines, seizures and sale of goods by ministries. 4

5 Figure 9: Breakdown of fiscal resources Tanintharyi Region 1. Regional government bodies, municipal Development Affairs Organisations (DAOs) collect nearly all of own-source revenue in FY and the 218 interim budget. 6 Revenue under Regional Government Bodies almost entirely recorded on the books of the Cabinet Office contributed to most of own revenue in FY. Commercial license sale and other non-tax revenues account for 83 percent of DAO revenue (Fig. 11). While non-tax revenues provide a valuable source of income, they may carry negative distortionary effects on local markets. 7 Furthermore, low levels of tax collection by DAO imply that its service provision is increasingly reliant on non-tax revenue. Estimates for own revenue collection for the 218 interim budget is significantly lower than in previous years the reason for this is unclear but it s likely related to the change of the fiscal year calendar. Figure 1: Own revenue By departments in Tanintharyi region Figure 11: DAO revenue By type in Tanintharyi Region Million kyat % of total own revenue Million kyat Non-tax as % of total 25, 2, 15, Regional gov't bodies - % of total own revenue DAO - % of total own revenue own , 3,2 2, , 4 1,6 4 5, (PA) interim (PA) interim Regional government bodies DAOs Others Property Tax Wheel Tax Licenses and others Note: "Own" revenue excludes the Union general grant transfer, the Community Development Fund, Union collected tax revenue sharing and other small ad-hoc transfers. 6 Regional Government Bodies are comprised of (1) Regional Cabinet Office (2) Regional Parliament (3) Court (4) Attorney General Office and (5) Auditor Office 7 See Local Economic Governance in Myanmar, Jared Bissinger

6 11. Tax revenue performance has been declining; making one percent of total revenue in and the 218 interim budget. Regional tax revenue has decreased from nearly MMK 4, million to MMK 2, million between and (Fig.12). Local tax collection in Myanmar is fragmented across multiple departments; Figure 12 illustrates tax collection by department. General Administration Department (GAD) and DAOs collected 62 percent and 19 percent of total tax receipts in 218 interim budget, respectively. Excise tax (collected by GAD) and property taxes (collected by DAO) combine for nearly 65 percent of overall Tanintharyi tax receipts (Fig.13). 8 Figure 12: Tax Revenue By departments in Tanintharyi Region Figure 13: Tax Revenue By tax items in Tanintharyi Region, 218 interim Million Kyat 5, 4, 3, 2, 14% 11% 2% 5% 49% 1, 8% (PA) interim BE GAD Foresty Dept DAOs Fishery Dept 11% Excise Tax Forest Tax Fishery Tax Land Tax Property Tax Wheel Tax Others Composition of Expenditure 12. Expenditure trend shows positive and moderate growth with greater emphasis on capital expenditure (Fig.14). Total expenditure has grown 12 percent in FY, with 62 percent classified as capital. Expenditure during the interim budget stands at MMK 75,518 million, about half of that in , reflecting the shortened budget cycle. Interestingly, despite a shortened time available for infrastructure projects most of the interim budget (77 percent) is budgeted as capital expenditure. While this budget brief presents a reference point and a historic composition of expenditure, there remains scope to evaluate allocative efficiency of spending. More specifically, this could entail analysis into the composition of spending and related outcomes across geography, gender, income levels, and other parameters. Million Kyat 2, 16, Figure 14: Aggregate expenditure By type in Tanintharyi Region Capital Expenditure Current Expenditure Capital % of total expenditure , 6 8, 4 4, (PA) interim 13. Spending by the Department of Highways (DOH) accounts for more than half of Tanintharyi s budget (Fig.15). It was budgeted for around 57 percent of the total expenditure for the 218 interim budget, 8 The tax and fee-raising powers of state/region governments are set out in Schedule 5 of the 28 Constitution. 6

7 slightly more than in the previous fiscal year. Regional government bodies, DAOs and Electricity Distribution Enterprise account for 2, 8 and 8 percent share of the budget, respectively. Figure 15: Expenditure breakdown By departments as % share of total in Tanintharyi Region (PA) interim Others General Administration Department (GAD) Development Affairs Organizations (DAO) Electricity Distribution Enterprise State government bodies Department of Highways (DOH) 14. Nearly all of the capital expenditure is budgeted under DOH, Electricity Distitbution Enterprise Devlopment Affair Organizations and Regional government bodies (Fig.17). With investments into Tanintharyi roads DOH accounts for 58 percent of the total capital budget. Capital investments in electricity take 1 percent of the capital budget, having grown from MMK 6,16 to 3,154 million between and fiscal years. In the 218 interim budget, the electricity sector spends MMK 5,833 million. The overall increase in capital expenditure is primarly driven by expanding expenditure under DOH and Electricity Distribution Enterprise. Interestingly, Region governemt bodies account for a significant share of the capital budget with over 88 percent of its expenditure classified as capital (Fig.16). Available budget formats pose challenges in identifying areas of capital investment undertaken by the Regional government bodies. High capital expenditure share in Tanintharyi s budget isn t necessarily excessive given the Regional s infrastcuture needs. However, going forward it s also important to assess its implications on recurrent and maintenance costs of new roads and other capital investments. Figure 16: Expenditure breakdown By type as % share of total department expenditure, 218 interim in Tanintharyi Region current capital Figure 17: Capital expenditure By department as % share of total capital expenditure, 218 interim in Tanintharyi Region 8.5% 1.1% % 57.6% 2 DOH Regional State Electricity governmet governemnt Distribution bodies enterprise GAD DAO Department of Highways (DOH) State governemnt bodies Electricity distribution enterprise Developemnt Affairs Organisation (DAO) Other 15. Maintenance expenses account for most of current expenditure in Tanintharyi (Fig. 18). It has decreased MMK 73 billion to MMK 49 billion between and fiscal years. Most of the reduction in maintenance costs can be attributed to DOH. It s unclear whether this is a relection of change in accounting practices or shift in priorities. At 56 percent of total recurrent expenditure during the 218 interim budget maintenance expsnes is followed by salary and other staff expenses at 26 percent (Fig.18B). 9 9 Recurrent expenditure includes: (a) salary payments, (b) maintenance expense, (c) expenses on goods and services including other labour charges, (d) Constituency Development Fund (CDF), (e) travel costs, (f) expense on petrol, engine-oil and lubricant, (g) transfers (on educational and social purpose), (h) event hosting costs, (i) pension, and (j) expense on rural development. 7

8 Figure 18: Current Expenditure By category in Tanintharyi Region Figure 19: Current expenditure By departments, as % share of total current expenditure in Tanintharyi Region (PA) interim Other Development Affairs Organizations (DOA) Department of Agriculture State government bodies General Administration Department (GAD) Department of Highways (DOH) Concluding remarks and additional resources 16. The classification of available budget data imposes limits on analysis. Despite recent progress in disclosure of budget information, there is room for improvement in access to more detailed breakdowns of expenditure and revenue data. Better data could help advance analysis on sustainability and strategic allocation of resources. Aggregate reporting of budget sections poses challenges in estimating resource distribution to a specific function of government, assessing expenditure efficiency and equity. Going forward it s important to assess the link between budgetary decision and impact on service delivery and social welfare across geography, gender, income levels, and other parameters. 17. Varying reporting formats for similar information and paper-based reporting between government departments inhibit budget transparency. Inconsistency across reporting formats and reliance on paper contribute to obstacles in aggregating and sharing budget information including to Hluttaw and between government departments. Moreover, the clerical burden assumed by the budget department civil service associated with aggregating paper-based data limits opportunities to engage with more analytical work. Digitizing the budget process could help in address inconsistencies across different government departments and facilitate communication and analysis of budget data. 18. Low tax share of sub-national revenue could result from limited tax authority, fragmentation of tax collection, weak administration and legal ambiguities. Currently, sub-national tax collection is fragmented into multiple agencies, possibly resulting in duplication of effort and incoordination. In addition, conversations with state and region government officials suggest confusion over legal authority to change outdated Union laws and tax rates for the constitutionally assigned sub-national tax items like land tax. There remains ambiguity concerning authority over the constitutionally assigned sub-national taxes; whether it extends to ownership of tax policy, administration and rate setting, or simply provides rights to funds. 19. States and regions have clear opportunities to expand existing revenues. Property tax represents a large source of untapped revenue for Myanmar s cities. Reforms to its tax administration can generate significant increases in revenues. Targeted reforms to property tax can help finance and match the growing demand for public services. For more on property tax in Myanmar see, Managing the challenges of rapid urbanization (link on next page). 8

9 Additional resources Renaissance Institute budget resources page Union Citizen s budget Kayin Citizen s budget Bago Citizen s budget Kayah Citizen s budget Renaissance Institute s Budget Brief Series Managing the challenges of rapid urbanization The Asia Foundation Public Financial Management Glossary and Terms 9

10 About the Renaissance Institute The Renaissance Institute (RI) is a policy institute focused on assisting the reform of Myanmar s economy. RI provides analytical support, assists government capacity building and facilitates communication between Myanmar s government and other relevant stakeholders focused on revitalizing Myanmar s economy. In particular, the Renaissance Institute is supporting key policy priorities of the current government: fiscal decentralization, and public financial management reform. No. 51-A6, Thayarwaddy Street Sayar San Ward, Bahan Township Yangon, Myanmar Tel Fax: No. 11, Ko Min Ko Chin Yeik Thar Street Bahan Township Yangon, Myanmar Tel: Acknowledgment This budget brief was prepared by Ildrim Valley, Hein Aung Kyaw from Renaissance Institute and Yin Mon (The Asia Foundation). The budget brief series is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia and Switzerland. The views expressed in this publication are the author s alone and are not necessarily the views of the funding partners.