24th October 2024, Skopje – U.S. Department of the Treasury’ technical assistance is welcomed and beneficial for strengthening the public finance management. U.S. Department of the Treasury’ experts have been engaged in several departments within the Ministry of Finance, the Customs Administration and the Public Revenue Office, resulting from the Terms of Reference signed between Ministry of Finance of our country and the US Treasury Department’s Office of Technical Assistance, as discussed at the meeting held between Minister of Finance, Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technical Assistance, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Luyen Tran, International Economist at U.S. Department of the Treasury, Europe Office, Rebecca Gorin, and associate directors, representing each of US OTA technical assistance engagements in our country.
“Existing budget planning system was developed with technical assistance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury in the period 2004-2008, with ongoing actions being taken for the sake of improving these processes. Experts from U.S. Department of Treasury are working in plenty of areas and departments within MoF, aimed at preparing draft versions of key documents related to budget planning and execution, arising from the new Organic Budget Law, enhancing the supervision over the non-banking financial sector, strengthening the capacities in the respective MoF’s department, as well as improving the protection of consumers and intensifying the financial literacy. In addition, experts also take actions as regards public debt management and similar. All this is particularly significant for our country in view of improving the processes, thus increasing the efficiency as regards both budget revenue collection and collected budget funds management”, Minister Dimitrieska-Kochoska pointed out.
She went on that these Terms of Reference also cover activities, which will be carried out in the Public Revenue Office and the Customs Administration as well, aiming to strengthen the capacities, digitalize the processes, enhance the cyber security and combat the crime.
Minister thereby expressed her gratitude for the support the USA extends to our country, with interest being demonstrated in extending the experts’ cooperation and the technical assistance in the upcoming period as well, all to the end of further improvement of the overall public finance system.
This meeting took place during her working visit to the USA, where Minister of Finance participated in the Annual IMF/WB Spring Meetings. She will also meet top officials from these international financial institutions.
