Strong Monitoring, Evaluation Mechanism Key to Effective Utilization of Draft Budget: Planning and Development Minister

Putting a strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism in place is critical to effectively utilize the budget for the upcoming Ethiopian fiscal year, Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa said.

It is to be recalled that the Council of Ministers has submitted to the House of People’s Representatives 786.61 billion Birr proposed budget for the fiscal year which begins in July 2022.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa said the draft budget for the fiscal year is well aligned with the 10-year development plan, goals and targets.

But declaring the budget is one thing, she stated, adding that putting a strong monitoring and evaluating mechanism is the critical part.

“Declaring budget is one thing, but we need to put strong monitoring and evaluating mechanism. Monitoring and evaluation is a cross-cutting idea. It must be undertaken by everyone and every sector,” the minister stressed.

Each sector should do its own monitoring and evaluation of the progress in their respective plan and implementation of their projects.

According to her, the ministry plays a huge role in terms of monitoring and evaluation. “We have a plan. We monitor every sector whether they are progressing according to the plan and having proper investment as per the plan in public investment, or whether the public investment is being managed properly.”

The planning minister underlined that for any plan one of the implementation tools is project, and the ministry has the mandate to appraise public development projects and investments.

“We (therefore) appraise project ideas and then coordinate independent feasibility studies and then have proper implementation plan for each project.”

The minister said that for each sector and every project there is proper implementation plan and monitoring mechanism which ensures that a project is being implemented as per the original implementation plan.

“We make sure every sector, every project has proper implementation plan. Then we monitor whether that project is being implemented as per the original implementation plan; then we also do impact evaluation of projects that we really see if the public investment is done efficiently and effectively.”

So, Fitsum noted that the ministry has a huge role in making sure that the budget declared is implemented as per the plan.

The proposed budget generally focuses on debt payment, humanitarian assistance, rehabilitation, reconstruction, poverty reduction, development projects, supporting displaced people, completing projects, and climate change, among others.

The draft budget has increased by 16.59 percent when compared to the last fiscal year.

Source: Ethiopia News Agency