International Budget Project OPEN BUDGET QUESTIONNAIRE BULGARIA October 2005 International Budget Project Center on Budget and Policy Priorities 820 First Street, NE Suite 510 Washington, DC 20002 www.internationalbudget.org
This questionnaire was completed by: Name: Latchezar Bogdanov Organization: Industry Watch Address: 16 G.M. Dimitrov Blvd, Sofia 1797 Bulgaria Telephone: (+359) 889 209 752 E-mail: bogdanov@iwatchbulgaria.com Internet Website: www.iwatchbulgaria.com Name: Georgi Angelov Organization: Open Society Institute - Sofia Address: 56, Solunska str., 1000 Sofia Bulgaria Telephone: (+359) 887 901 889 E-mail: george@osf.bg Internet Website: www.osf.bg 2
International Budget Project OPEN BUDGET QUESTIONNAIRE BULGARIA Section One: The Availability of Budget Documents...4 Table 1. Budget Year of Documents Used in Completing the Questionnaire... 5 Table 2. Internet Links for Key Budget Documents... 6 Table 3. Distribution of Documents Related to the Executive s Budget Proposal... 7 Table 4. Distribution of the Enacted Budget and Other Reports... 8 Section Two: The Executive s Budget Proposal...9 Estimates for the Budget Year and Beyond... 10 Estimates for Years Prior to the Budget Year... 23 Comprehensiveness... 33 The Budget Narrative & Performance Monitoring... 40 Additional Key Information for Budget Analysis & Monitoring... 43 Section Three: The Budget Process...48 Executive s Formulation of the Budget... 49 Legislative Approval of the Budget... 53 Executive s Implementation of the Budget... 58 Executive's Year-end Report and the Supreme Audit Institution... 66 3
Section One: The Availability of Budget Documents 4
Table 1. Budget Year of Documents Used in Completing the Questionnaire Please indicate the budget year of the document used to complete the questionnaire. If the document is not available to the public, please state, Not Available. Budget Documents Used in Completing the Questionnaire As explained in the guide to the questionnaire, documents from a variety of fiscal years are referred to throughout the questionnaire. Please indicate below for which fiscal year responses to questions relating to each report or experience were based on. Budget Year Used Pre-Budget Statement Budget Summary Not Available Not Available Executive s Budget Proposal 2005 Supporting Budget Documents 2005 Citizens Budget Not Available Enacted Budget 2005 In-Year Reports 2005 Mid-Year Report Not Available Year-End Report 2004 Audit Report 2004 5
Table 2. Internet Links for Key Budget Documents Please provide the Internet link for the document, or indicate one of these three answers: Not Produced, Produced, But Not Available to the Public, Publicly Available, But Not on the Internet. Budget Document Website Pre-Budget Statement Not Produced Budget Summary Not Produced Executive s Budget Proposal Supporting Budget Documents Citizens Budget http://www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final- DV.pdf http://www.minfin.bg/inpage.php?id=7 Not Produced Enacted Budget http://www.minfin.bg/docs/budjet_zakon2005.pdf In-Year Reports http://www.minfin.bg/inpage.php?id=465 Mid-Year Review Produced, But Not Available to the Public Year-End Report http://www.minfin.bg/inpage.php?id=6/ Audit Report Publicly Available, But Not on the Internet Other Documents http://www.minfin.bg/inpage.php?id=7 Relevant Ministries & Departments http://www.minfin.bg/?language=english 6
Table 3. Distribution of Documents Related to the Executive s Budget Proposal DISTRIBUTION OF BUDGET DOCUMENTS For the following reports, place Yes in the appropriate row below to indicate if the report is: A. Not produced, even for internal purposes Main document Executive s Budget Proposal Budget summary* Supporting Document 1 Additional Document 2 Citizens budget Yes Yes Yes B. Produced for internal purposes, but not available to the public C. Produced and available to the public, but only on request D. Produced and distributed to the public (for example, in libraries, posted on the Internet.) Yes Yes Yes For budget reports that are produced and distributed to the public, what steps does the executive take to distribute these reports and to promote interest in them? For each characteristic, mark Yes if yes, No if no, or NA if Not Available. Prebudget Prebudget Main document Executive s Budget Budget summary* Supporting Document 1 Additional Document 2 Citizens budget 1. The release date is known at least one month in advance NA Yes NA Yes Yes NA 2. Advance notification of release is sent to users, NA Yes NA Yes Yes NA media 3. Released to public same day as official release to media NA Yes NA Yes Yes NA 4. Available on the Internet free of charge NA Yes NA Yes Yes NA 5. Free print copies available, limited distribution NA No NA No No NA 6. Free print copies available, mass distribution NA No NA No No NA 7. Readily available outside capital and/or big cities + NA Yes NA Yes Yes NA 8. Written in more than one language NA No (some documents for 2004 available in English) NA No No NA 9. News conference is held to NA Yes NA Yes Yes NA discuss release *A budget summary should be a stand-alone document, which could include a budget speech or a separately published executive summary. + Mark Yes if access by mail order or by Internet, if Internet service is readily available outside the capital and/or big cities. 7
Table 4. Distribution of the Enacted Budget and Other Reports DISTRIBUTION OF ENACTED BUDGET AND OTHER REPORTS For the following reports, place a Yes in the appropriate row below to indicate if the report is: Enacted budget In-year reports Mid-year review Year-end report Audit report A. Not produced, even for internal purposes B. Produced for internal purposes, but not available Yes to the public C. Produced and available to the public, but only on request D. Produced and distributed to the public (for example, in libraries, posted on the Yes Yes Yes Internet.) For budget reports that are produced and distributed to the public, what steps does the executive take to distribute these reports and to promote interest in them? For each characteristic, mark Yes if yes, No if no, or NA if Not Available. Enacted budget In-year reports Mid-year review Year-end report Audit report 1. The release date is known at least one month in advance 2. Advance notification of release sent to users, media 3. Released to public same day as official release to media 4. Available on the Internet free of charge 5. Free print copies available, limited distribution 6. Free print copies available, mass distribution Yes Yes Yes NA No No Yes No NA Yes No Yes Yes NA Yes No Yes Yes NA Yes No No No NA No No No No NA No No 7. Readily available outside capital/big No No NA No No cities + 8. Written in more than one language No Yes NA No No 9. News conference is held to discuss release Yes Yes NA Yes Yes + Mark Yes if access is available by mail order or by Internet, if Internet service is readily available outside the capital and/or big cities. 8
Section Two: The Executive s Budget Proposal Notes on abbreviations: BY = budget year (year for which the budget proposals are being made) BY+1 = one year beyond the budget year BY-1 = one year before the budget year 9
Please mark your answer by placing the appropriate letter in the box to the right of the question. For all answers marked not applicable/other, please provide a brief explanation indicating either why the answer choices provided are not applicable or why another response would be more appropriate. The Executive s Budget Proposal Estimates for the Budget Year and Beyond 1. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present expenditures for the budget year that are classified by administrative unit (that is, by ministry, department, or agency)? a. All expenditures are classified by administrative unit. b. Expenditures are classified by administrative unit, but some small units are not shown separately. c. Expenditures are classified by administrative unit, but a significant number of units are not shown separately. d. No expenditures classified by administrative unit are presented. b Citation and/or comment: This information is presented in Appendix 1 of the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria entitled Budget 2005 by Responsibilities, available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/pril1_report%20budget_2005_na.pdf Small units are just listed and their financing is not explicitly stated, and some of these small units sometimes accrue considerable amount of budgetary funds. 2. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present expenditures for the budget year that are classified by functional classification? a. All expenditures are classified by functional classification, and the categorization is compatible with international standards. b. All expenditures are classified by functional classification, but the categorization is not compatible with international standards. c. Some, but not all, expenditures are classified by function. d. No expenditures classified by function are presented. b Citation and/or comment: This information is presented in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, Part 3, Chapter 2 entitled State Expenditures by Functions (pp. 54-74), available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf The categorization is not compatible with international standards especially in the subgroups of the major functions. 10
3. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present expenditures for the budget year that are classified by economic classification? a. All expenditures are classified by economic classification, and the categorization is compatible with international standards. b. All expenditures are classified by economic classification, but the categorization is not compatible with international standards. c. Some, but not all, expenditures are classified by economic classification. d. No expenditures classified by economic classification are presented. b Citation and/or comment: This information is presented in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, Part 3, Chapter 1 entitled Public Expenditures by Economic Elements (pp. 41-54), available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf The categorization is not entirely compatible with international standards especially in the subgroups of the major categories. 4. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present expenditures for individual programs for the budget year? a. Program-level data are presented for all expenditures. b. Program-level data are presented for at least two-thirds of, but not all, expenditures. c. Program-level data are presented, but for less than two-thirds of expenditures. d. No program-level data are presented. c Citation and/or comment: This information is presented in Part 3, Chapter 1 Public Expenditures by Economic Elements (pp. 41-54) in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 11
5. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, are estimates of the aggregate level of expenditure presented for a multi-year period (at least two years beyond the budget year)? a. Yes, multi-year estimates of aggregate expenditure are presented. b. No, multi-year estimates of aggregate expenditure are not presented. c. Not applicable/other (please comment). b Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as b. The Bulgarian government prepares a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, called Budget Forecast for 2006-2008. However it does not reflect the same levels of revenue and expenditure in years in which it overlaps with the budget. For example, the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework was prepared in May 2005 and the budget revenues and expenditures for 2006 are decided finally in October 2005. The Budget Forecast for 2006-2008 is available at: http://www.minfin.bg/docs/mtff%2006-08-final-f-1.pdf Researcher Response to Peer Reviewer: Multi-year projections - Budget Forecast for 2006-2008 - are not released annually alongside the budget, and are not based on the same macroeconomic assumptions as the budget, nor do the projections reflect the same levels of revenue and expenditure in years in which they overlap. A more appropriate response to this question would be a. There is a separate section entitled Policy Directions for the Main Fields of Expenditure for the Period 2006-2008 in the Budget Forecast for 2006 2008 (pages 36-61). It includes information on expenditures for the year (2005) when the document was produced and aggregate estimates for the years 2006-2008. For example, a table with expenditure estimates (or projections) - calculated by the administrative units along with calculations based on permanent prices - is presented on page 37. Estimates of the aggregate and more detailed levels of expenditure are presented further in the text and in the tables. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer b to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 12
6. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, is more detail than just the aggregate level presented for expenditure estimates that cover a multi-year period (for at least two years beyond the budget year)? a. Yes, multi-year expenditure estimates are presented for all individual programs, and for one or more expenditure classification (such as functional, economic, or administrative). b. Yes, multi-year estimates are presented for one or more expenditure classification (such as functional, economic, or administrative), but only for some individual programs. c. Yes, multi-year estimates are presented, but only for a portion of one or more of the expenditure classifications (such as some functions, or some administrative units) and/or for only some individual programs. d. No, multi-year estimates are presented for aggregate expenditure only, or they are not presented at all. d Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as d. The Bulgarian government prepared a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, called Budget Forecast for 2006 2008. However, it does not reflect the same levels of revenue and expenditure in years in which it overlaps with the budget. The Budget Forecast for 2006 2008 is available at: http://www.minfin.bg/docs/mtff%2006-08-final-f-1.pdf A more appropriate response to this question would be b. See the comment above (question 5). Budget expenditure estimates, presented in greater detail are included in the section Policy Directions for the Main Fields of Expenditure for the Period 2006-2008 of the Budget Forecast for 2006 2008 (pages 36-61). IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer d to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 13
7. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation identify the different sources of tax revenue (such as income tax or VAT) for the budget year? a. All sources of tax revenue are identified individually. b. Sources of tax revenue amounting to at least two-thirds of, but not all, tax revenues are identified individually. c. Sources of tax revenue amounting to less than two-thirds of all tax revenues are identified individually. d. No sources of tax revenue are identified individually. c Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as c. In the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, (page 30) all major tax revenues are identified. However, the data are too aggregated and there is no data on different excise taxes and corporate taxes, and the property taxes are not shown at all (they are part of the other taxes category). The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf Researcher Response to Peer Reviewer: Less than two-thirds of taxes are identified individually by their source. For example, in the budget it is not stated what percentage of the excise revenues comes from fuel, tobacco or alcohol duties. Therefore, the source of the excise is not shown. As to property taxes they are shown in the budget, but within a broader group of taxes other taxes with no individual data. A more appropriate response to this question would be b. In my view, in Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, (page 30) there is a sufficient level of detail about the different sources of tax revenue to merit the answer b. For example, taxes (that represent more than 80 percent from all projected revenues for 2005) are broken down into (1) direct taxes, including corporate taxes (with two subcategories), personal income taxes, professional, health and pensions insurance etc., and (2) indirect taxes, including VAT, excises, duties, etc. The answer c is correct. Regarding the comment, the property taxes are municipal taxes and normally they are not shown in the state budget. Even currently, they are gathered separately. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer c to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 14
8. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation identify the different sources of non-tax revenue (such as grants, property income, and sales of goods and services) for the budget year? a. All sources of non-tax revenue are identified individually. b. Sources of non-tax revenue amounting to at least two-thirds of, but not all, nontax revenues are identified individually. c. Sources of non-tax revenues amounting to less than two-thirds of all non-tax revenue are identified individually. d. No sources of non-tax revenues are identified individually. c Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as c. In the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, (page 39) all major non-tax revenues are identified. However, the data are too aggregated and there are no data on different types of fees (they comprise one third of the non-tax revenues) or on different types of property incomes. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf A more appropriate response to this question would be b. On page 39 of the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, there is information on at least two-thirds of all non-tax revenues. This includes information for revenues from state property, concessions, sale of state property, transfers from the national bank. It is true that there is no detailed data on the state taxes and fees but I doubt whether if such data was presented it would tell us anything more and change the quality of the information dramatically. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer c to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 15
9. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, are estimates of the aggregate level of revenue presented for a multi-year period (at least two years beyond the budget year)? a. Yes, multi-year estimates of aggregate revenue are presented. b. No, multi-year estimates of aggregate revenue are not presented. c. Not applicable/other (please comment). b Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as b. The information is not presented. The Bulgarian government prepares a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, called Budget Forecast for 2006 2008. However, it does not reflect the same levels of revenue and expenditure in years in which it overlaps with the budget. The Budget Forecast for 2006 2008 is available at: http://www.minfin.bg/docs/mtff%2006-08-final-f-1.pdf A more appropriate response to this question would be a. Aggregate revenue estimates are presented on page 28 in the report cited above. They are: 2006 BGN 17 666.7 millions (39.6 percent from GDP); 2007 BGN 19 217.5 millions (39.4 percent from GDP); 2008 BGN 20 542.8 millions (38.7% from GDP). IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer b to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 16
10. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, is more detail than just the aggregate level presented for revenue estimates that cover a multi-year period (for at least two years beyond the budget year)? a. Yes, multi-year revenue estimates are presented for individual sources of revenue, and by revenue classification (such as tax and non-tax). b. Yes, multi-year estimates are presented by revenue classification (such as tax and non-tax), but only for some individual sources of revenue. c. Yes, multi-year estimates are presented, but only for some individual sources of revenue. d. No, multi-year estimates are presented for aggregate revenue only, or they are not presented at all. d Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as d. The information is not presented. The Bulgarian government prepares a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, called Budget Forecast for 2006 2008. However, it does not reflect the same levels of revenue and expenditure in years in which it overlaps with the budget. The Budget Forecast for 2006 2008 is available at: http://www.minfin.bg/docs/mtff%2006-08-final-f-1.pdf A more appropriate response to this question would be b. In the Budget Forecast for 2006 2008, pages 29-35, there is information on revenue estimates covering the majority of all major budget items for the years 2006-2008. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer d to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 17
11. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present data on the total government debt outstanding for the budget year? a. Yes, the data reflect the outstanding debt both at the start of the budget year and at the end of the budget year (and thereby reflect the net borrowing requirement of the budget). b. Yes, the data reflect the outstanding debt at the end of the budget year. c. Yes, the data reflect the outstanding debt at the start of the budget year. d. No, data on the outstanding debt are not presented. a Citation and/or comment: In the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, (refer to page 86) the forecast for the domestic and external government debt in the beginning of the budget year is presented. The internal and external borrowing for the budget year (refer to page 89) is also presented. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20- %20Final-DV.pdf 12. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present interest payments on the debt for the budget year? a. Yes, interest payments on the debt are presented. b. No, interest payments on the debt are not presented. c. Not applicable/other (please comment). Citation and/or comment: This information is presented in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 50). The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf a 18
13. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present information related to the composition of government debt (such as interest rates on the debt, maturity profile of the debt, currency denomination of the debt, or whether it is domestic and external debt) for the budget year? a. Yes, extensive information related to the composition of government debt is presented. b. Yes, key additional information is presented, but some details are excluded. c. Yes, some additional information is presented, but it lacks important details. d. No, additional information related to the composition of government debt is not presented. b Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 86-87) presents information on the composition of government debt. Information is provided relating to domestic/external division, currency denomination, interest rates composition (fixed vs. floating rates). The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf Additional information on the maturity of the debt and some data on the interest rates are presented in the Ministry of Finance s Monthly Bulletin State Debt. The bulletin is available at: www.minfin.bg/inpage.php?id=656 19
14. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present the macroeconomic forecast upon which the budget projections are based? a. Yes, an extensive discussion of the macroeconomic forecast is presented, and key assumptions (such as inflation, real GDP growth, unemployment rate, and interest rates) are stated explicitly. b. Yes, the macroeconomic forecast is discussed and most of the key assumptions are stated explicitly, but some details are excluded. c. Yes, there is some discussion of the macroeconomic forecast (and/or the presentation of key assumptions), but it lacks important details. d. No, information related to the macroeconomic forecast is not presented. a Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as a. The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 15-16) presents information on the macroeconomic forecast upon which the budget projections are based, such as inflation, real growth of GDP, unemployment rate, foreign exchange rates, international interest rates, current account. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf A more appropriate response to this question would be b. This is because the information in this part does not overlap with the real situation on the market. For example, the price of oil is set at $30 per barrel, which is obviously no longer realistic. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer a to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 20
15. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation show the impact of different macroeconomic assumptions (i.e., sensitivity analysis) on the budget (including expenditures, revenues, and debt)? a. Yes, extensive information on the impact of macroeconomic assumptions on the budget is presented, including both a narrative discussion and quantitative estimates. b. Yes, information is presented, highlighting the impact of the major macroeconomic assumptions, but some details are excluded. c. Yes, some information is presented, but it lacks important details. d. No, information on the impact of different macroeconomic assumptions on the budget is not presented. c Citation and/or comment: In the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 91) there is some narrative discussion of the risks before the budget. However, no sensitivity analysis is presented. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf I agree that the information on the possible impact of various macroeconomic factors on the budget included in the Report on the Law on the State Budget of Bulgaria is rather poor and does not contain a profound analysis. However, to some extent, there is a relevant discussion on the possible impact of domestic demand, oil prices, and US dollar exchange rate on the budget. This shows there is an idea (though vague) that possible risks for the budget should be taken into account and made known to the public. 16. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present information for at least the budget year that shows how policy proposals in the budget, as distinct from existing policies, affect expenditures? a. Yes, extensive information on the impact of policy proposals on expenditures is presented, including both a narrative discussion and quantitative estimates. b. Yes, information is presented, highlighting the impact of key policy proposals on expenditures, but some details are excluded. c. Yes, some information is presented, but it lacks important details. d. No, information on the impact of policy proposals on expenditures is not presented. c Citation and/or comment: In the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria some data on new policies is presented. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 21
17. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present information for at least the budget year that shows how policy proposals in the budget, as distinct from existing policies, affect revenues? a. Yes, extensive information on the impact of policy proposals on revenues is presented, including both a narrative discussion and quantitative estimates. b. Yes, information is presented, highlighting the impact of key policy proposals on revenues, but some details are excluded. c. Yes, some information is presented, but it lacks important details. d. No, information on the impact of policy proposals on revenues is not presented. b Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as b. The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria presents data on new policies proposals, but some details are excluded. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf Researcher Response to Peer Reviewer: There is some information on the effects of income tax, excises, and VAT changes on revenue, so b is relevant. A more appropriate response to this question would be c. The report lacks important details too many statements go unsupported by real figures. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer b to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 22
Estimates for Years Prior to the Budget Year 18. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present expenditures for the year preceding the budget year (BY-1) that are classified by administrative unit (that is, by ministry, department, or agency)? a. All expenditures are classified by administrative unit for BY-1. b. Expenditures are classified by administrative unit for BY-1, but some small units are not shown separately. c. Expenditures are classified by administrative unit for BY-1, but a significant number of units are not shown separately. d. No expenditures classified by administrative unit are presented for BY-1. b Citation and/or comment: This information is presented in Appendix 1 of the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria entitled Budget 2005 by Responsibilities. It is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/pril1_report%20budget_2005_na.pdf 19. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present expenditures for the year preceding the budget year (BY-1) that are classified by functional classification? a. All expenditures are classified by functional classification for BY-1, and the categorization is compatible with international standards. b. All expenditures are classified by functional classification for BY-1, but the categorization is not compatible with international standards. c. Some, but not all, expenditures are classified by function for BY-1. d. No expenditures classified by function are presented for BY-1. c Citation and/or comment: This information is presented as a spreadsheet in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria. 23
20. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present expenditures for the year preceding the budget year (BY-1) that are classified by economic classification? a. All expenditures are classified by economic classification for BY-1, and the categorization is compatible with international standards. b. All expenditures are classified by economic classification for BY-1, but the categorization is not compatible with international standards. c. Some, but not all, expenditures are classified by economic classification for BY-1. d. No expenditures classified by economic classification are presented for BY-1. b Citation and/or comment: This information is presented in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, Part 3, Chapter 1 entitled Public Expenditures by Economic Elements (pages 41-54). It is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf The categorization is not entirely compatible with international standards especially in the subgroups of the major categories. 21. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present expenditures for individual programs for the year preceding the budget year (BY-1)? a. Program-level expenditure data are presented for all expenditures for BY-1. b. Program-level expenditure data are presented for at least two-thirds of, but not all, expenditures for BY-1. c. Program-level expenditure data are presented, but for less than two-thirds of expenditures for BY-1. d. No program-level expenditure data are presented for BY-1. d Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria contains no program-level data. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 24
22. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, how many months of actual data are reflected in the expenditure estimates of the year prior to the budget year (BY-1)? a. All BY-1 estimates have been updated from the original enacted levels to reflect six or more months of actual expenditure. b. All BY-1 estimates have been updated from the original enacted levels, but reflect less than six months of actual expenditure. c. Some BY-1 estimates have been updated from the original enacted levels to reflect actual expenditure. d. The BY-1 estimates have not been updated from the original enacted levels, or no BY-1 estimates are presented. a Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 17-21) presents data for the expenditures and revenues for the first seven months of the year prior to the budget year and an estimate is made for the budget until the end of the year. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 23. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, are estimates of the aggregate level of expenditure presented for years that precede the budget year by more than one year (that is, BY-2 and prior years)? a. Yes, such prior-year estimates of aggregate expenditure are presented. b. No, such prior-year estimates of aggregate expenditure are not presented. c. Not applicable/other (please comment). a Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 41) presents data for the aggregate level of expenditure for three years before the budget year. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 25
24. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, is more detail than just the aggregate level presented for expenditure estimates that cover years preceding the budget year by more than one year (that is, BY-2 and prior years)? a. Yes, such prior-year expenditure estimates are presented for all individual programs, and for one or more expenditure classification (such as functional, economic, or administrative). b. Yes, such prior-year estimates are presented for one or more expenditure classification (such as functional, economic, or administrative), but only for some individual programs. c. Yes, such prior-year estimates are presented, but only for a portion of one or more of the expenditure classifications (such as some functions, or some administrative units) and/or for only some individual programs. d. No, such prior-year estimates are presented for aggregate expenditure only, or they are not presented at all. b Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 41) presents economic classification for three years before the budget year. No data is provided for administrative and functional classifications. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 25. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, what is the most recent year presented for which all expenditures reflect actual outcomes? a. Two years prior to the budget year (BY-2). b. Three years prior to the budget year (BY-3). c. Before BY-3. d. No actual data for all expenditures are presented in the budget or supporting budget documentation. a Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 41) presents data on the economic classification that reflects actual outcomes for two and three years before the budget year. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 26
26. Are the expenditure estimates for the years prior to the budget year adjusted, as needed, to be comparable with the budget-year estimates in terms of classification and presentation? a. Yes, prior-year data are always adjusted to be comparable to the budget year data. b. Yes, in most cases, prior-year data are adjusted to be comparable. c. Yes, in some cases, prior-year data are adjusted to be comparable, but significant deviations between prior-year and budget-year classifications exist. d. No, prior-year data are not adjusted to be comparable, or no prior-year estimates are presented. c Citation and/or comment: This practice is not very widespread. 27
27. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation identify the different sources of tax revenue (such as income tax or VAT) for the year preceding the budget year (BY-1)? a. All tax revenues are identified individually for BY-1. b. Tax revenues amounting to at least two-thirds of, but not all, tax revenue for BY-1 are identified individually. c. Tax revenues amounting to less than two-thirds of all tax revenues for BY-1 are identified individually. d. No tax revenues are identified individually for BY-1. c Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as c. In the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria, (page 30) all major tax revenues are identified for three years before the budget year. However, the data presented are aggregated. There is no data on the different types of excises and corporate taxes; and the property taxes are not shown at all they are part of the other taxes category. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf A more appropriate response to this question would be b. I think that the information presented on page 30 in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria is detailed enough to award b to this question. For example, taxes (that represent more than 80 percent from all projected revenues for 2004) are broken down into (1) direct, including corporate taxes (with two subcategories), personal income taxes, professional, health and pensions insurance etc., an (2) indirect taxes, including VAT, excises, duty taxes, etc. The answer c is correct. Though it should be mentioned that the BY-1 is not the outcome but the budgetary prognosis. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer c to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 28
28. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation identify the different sources of non-tax revenue (such as grants, property income, and sales of goods and services) for the year preceding the budget year (BY-1)? a. All non-tax revenues are identified individually for BY-1. b. Non-tax revenues amounting to at least two-thirds of, but not all, non-tax revenue for BY-1 are identified individually. c. Non-tax revenues amounting to less than two-thirds of all non-tax revenues for BY-1 are identified individually. d. No non-tax revenues are identified individually for BY-1. c Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as c. The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 39) presents all major non-tax revenues for two years before the budget year. However, the data presented are aggregated and there are no data on the different types of fees (they comprise one third of the non-tax revenues) or different types of property incomes. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf A more appropriate response to this question would be b. See the comment for question 8. The table presented on page 39 in the report cited above contains information for the year before the budget year as well. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer c to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. 29
29. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, how many months of actual data are reflected in the revenues estimates of the year prior to the budget year (BY-1)? a. All BY-1 estimates have been updated from the original estimates to reflect six or more months of actual revenue collections. b. All BY-1 estimates have been updated from the original estimates, but reflect less than six months of actual revenue collections. c. Some BY-1 estimates have not been updated from the original estimates to reflect actual revenue collections. d. The BY-1 estimates have not been updated from the original estimates or no BY-1 estimates are presented. a Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 17-21) presents data on revenues for the first seven months of the year prior to the budget year and an estimate is made for the budget until the end of the year. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 30. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, are estimates of the aggregate level of revenues presented for years that precede the budget year by more than one year (that is, BY-2 and prior years)? a. Yes, such prior-year estimates of aggregate revenue are presented. b. No, such prior-year estimates of aggregate revenue are not presented. c. Not applicable/other (please comment). a Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 30) presents data for the aggregate level of revenues for three years prior to the budget year. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 30
31. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, is more detail than just the aggregate level presented for revenue estimates that cover years preceding the budget year by more than one year (that is, BY-2 and prior years)? a. Yes, such prior-year revenue estimates are presented for individual sources of revenue, and by revenue classification (such as tax and non-tax). b. Yes, such prior-year estimates are presented by revenue classification (such as tax and non-tax), but only for some individual sources of revenue. c. Yes, such prior-year estimates are presented, but only for some individual sources of revenue. d. No, such prior-year estimates are presented for aggregate revenue only, or they are not presented at all. b Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 30) presents data for three years prior to the budget year and revenues are listed in the same classification as the data for the budget year. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 32. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, what is the most recent year presented for which all revenues reflect actual outcomes? a. Two years prior to the budget year (BY-2). b. Three years prior to the budget year (BY-3). c. Before BY-3. d. No actual data for all revenues are presented in the budget or supporting budget documentation. a Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (page 30) presents data for two and three years prior to the budget year for revenues that reflect actual outcomes. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 31
33. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present information related to the government debt for the year preceding the budget year? a. Yes, extensive information is presented on the level and composition of government debt for the year preceding the budget year. b. Yes, information on the level of debt is presented, but some important details about the composition of the debt are excluded. c. Yes, but only information on the level of debt is presented. d. No, information related to the government debt for BY-1 is not presented. a Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 86-90) presents data for government debt. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf Additional information on the maturity of the debt and some data on the interest rates are presented in the Ministry of Finance s Monthly Bulletin State Debt. The bulletin is available on the Internet at: www.minfin.bg/inpage.php?id=656 34. In the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation, what is the most recent year presented for which the debt figures reflect actual outcomes? a. Two years prior to the budget year (BY-2). b. Three years prior to the budget year (BY-3). c. Before BY-3. d. No actual data for government debt are presented in the budget or supporting budget documentation. a Citation and/or comment: The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 86-90) presents data on government debt for the year before the budget year and two years prior to the budget year. The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf 32
Comprehensiveness 35. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present information for at least the budget year on extra-budgetary funds? a. Yes, extensive information on extra-budgetary funds is presented, including both a narrative discussion and quantitative estimates. b. Yes, information is presented, highlighting key extra-budgetary funds, but some details are excluded. c. Yes, some information is presented, but it lacks important details. d. No, information on extra-budgetary funds is not presented. b Citation and/or comment: The researcher marked this answer as b. Appendix 8 of the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria presents a list of extra-budgetary funds. The Appendix is available at: http://www.minfin.bg/docs/pril-08-%20ibsf-yes.pdf Information on extra-budgetary funds is also presented in Appendix 1 of the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (for example page 59 for Teachers Pension Fund ). Available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/pril1_report%20budget_2005_na.pdf Additional data is also presented in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 83-85 for the National Fund for example). The report is available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf A more appropriate response to this question would be c. Listing them is not enough; there must be more information on these. IBP Comment: IBP editors chose answer b to maintain the consistency of the assumptions used in selecting answers across the countries. In addition, some information on extra budgetary funds such as the teachers pension fund is available. 33
36. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present information for at least the budget year on intergovernmental transfers? a. Yes, extensive information on intergovernmental transfers is presented, including both a narrative discussion and quantitative estimates. b. Yes, information is presented, highlighting key intergovernmental transfers, but some details are excluded. c. Yes, some information is presented, but it lacks important details. d. No, information on intergovernmental transfers is not presented. b Citation and/or comment: Data on intergovernmental transfers and some narrative discussion is presented in the Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 75-78), available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf Additional data is also presented in Appendix 4 on the local services delegated by the government and financed by the government budget. The report is available at: http://www.minfin.bg/docs/pril-04-standarti.pdf A mechanism for defining subsidies for municipalities is presented in Appendix 3 of the report, available at: http://www.minfin.bg/docs/pril-03-mehanizam.pdf 37. Does the executive s budget or any supporting budget documentation present information for at least the budget year on transfers to public corporations? a. Yes, extensive information on transfers to public corporations is presented, including both a narrative discussion and quantitative estimates. b. Yes, information is presented, highlighting key transfers to public corporations, but some details are excluded. c. Yes, some information is presented, but it lacks important details. d. No, information on transfers to public corporations is not presented. c Citation and/or comment: Appendix 1 (pages 52-54) presents data and some discussion on the subsidies for the public TV and radio stations, available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/pril1_report%20budget_2005_na.pdf The Report on the 2005 Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria (pages 43-46) presents data and information on subsidies for public corporations in the real sector, available at: www.minfin.bg/docs/report%202005%20-%20final-dv.pdf The information on subsidies is not extensive and is sometimes missing. 34