Performance Based Budgeting System presented by MOFI delegation at Beirut Conference

The delegation was headed by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Khalfan bin Kharbash, UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industry.

During the course of the second session that was chaired by Dr. Mohamed Hussein, the Syrian Minister of Finance, participants discussed issues related to revamping the public expenditure management, effective budget execution and treasury management, issues in budget design, and public expenditure management reforms.

H.E. Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Undersecretary for Budget and Resources at MOFI, highlighted during the UAE presentation the importance of implementing the Performance Based Budgeting (PBB) in better managing public expenditure and achieving specific targets and measured results. He noted that the introduction of the PBB by the Ministry of Finance and Industry is in line with its plan to implement specific programs to improve performance across government ministries and bodies.

Al Bustani explained to the participants that the PBB ties policy-making with resource realities, improving the allocation of funds to strategic priorities among and within economic and social sectors, and defines each output in terms of efficiency. The emphasis in PBB is also on the delivery of agreed outputs with available resources and focus on customers and quality services. PBB provides managers with more autonomy and encourages professionalism, initiative and innovation.

Al Bustani added that in the context of globalization and Information technology, the Ministry of Finance and Industry has spearheaded the drive for improvement in the country, pioneering many initiatives such as the Federal E-government, the Total Quality Management, and Executive Training for senior government officials.