[{"bbox": [96, 150, 1134, 205], "category": "Text", "text": "2018-2022 directly linked to the PFM reforms At the sector level, the government has implemented a Sector Strategic Plan (PES) 2019-2022."}, {"bbox": [96, 216, 1134, 324], "category": "Text", "text": "In 2020, the government approved the National Policy on Public Financial Information (CONPES 4008), which adopts a systemic vision of the PFM information system. In line with this policy, in March 2022, an Integrated Action Plan for PFM information system was approved with actions to be carried out between 2022 and 2029. In addition, the government will approve before august 2022 a new national policy in public expenditure efficiency."}, {"bbox": [96, 335, 1134, 469], "category": "Text", "text": "Important progress have been made in terms of gender responsive budgeting and PFM system's responsiveness to environmental degradation and climate change. In 2022, Colombia approved its own green taxonomy and the first green bond auction was launched in September 2021 after having developed a completed framework for sovereign green bonds. In 2020, a gender budgetary market was implemented to track spending on gender equality objectives in the annual budget. An annual report on gender public spending in annexed to the budget from 2021."}, {"bbox": [96, 479, 1134, 535], "category": "Text", "text": "The credibility of the reform process is reflected in the progress made so far, including fulfilling NDP's objectives and a 100% of the PES in both 2020 and 2021, which reaffirms the progress made in recent years."}, {"bbox": [96, 545, 1134, 733], "category": "Text", "text": "The Duque's government has approved two tax reforms in 2019 and 2021. These tax reforms aimed to increase tax collection, improving tax system efficiency and fighting tax evasion. Despite these efforts, even if Colombia has doubled its revenues since the early 1980s, the tax-to GDP ratio has been continuously lower than the average for the LAC region and OECD over the past 20 years. Strong and long-standing opposition in Congress and the population to comprehensive tax reform, high levels of informality in the labour market, loss of short-term revenues from opportunistic tax reforms and fiscal exemptions are structural factors, which have underpinned Colombia's chronic challenges in raising tax revenues."}, {"bbox": [96, 743, 1134, 851], "category": "Text", "text": "The EU Delegation considers essential to reinforce the dialogue with the Colombian government in three areas that show weaknesses and that are of special interest to the European Union, such as the public procurement system where there is a potential for corruption, the efficient delivery of public services and the progressivity and efficiency of tax system."}, {"bbox": [96, 862, 1134, 918], "category": "Text", "text": "**In conclusion, the public finance management reform strategy is sufficiently relevant and credible, including on domestic revenue mobilisation, and the eligibility criterion is met.**"}, {"bbox": [173, 939, 640, 969], "category": "Section-header", "text": "#### 2.3.4 Transparency and Oversight of the Budget"}, {"bbox": [96, 981, 1134, 1090], "category": "Text", "text": "The entry point remains met as the 2022 budget was approved and published on 12 November 2021. The Delegation considers that there has been satisfactory progress in relation to the budget transparency eligibility condition. For the General Budget Law to enter into force, it has to be officially published by Congress and in the Official Journal. The budget can be consulted on the web page of the national publication office."}, {"bbox": [96, 1100, 1134, 1341], "category": "Text", "text": "The 2021 OBI and the IMF fiscal transparency evaluations carried out in 2017 have shown that Colombia continues to be a country with satisfactory levels of budget transparency. The country is above the world average in terms of budget transparency and the country's transparency score has improved compared to 2019 (OBI, 2021). According to the OBI 2021, Colombia has increased the availability and quality of budget information. The country continues providing a very good level of audit oversight and also an adequate legislative oversight during the planning stage of the budget cycle, but limited legislative oversight during the implementation stage. In addition, Colombia needs to reinforce citizen participation mechanisms in every stage of the budget process. For its part, the evaluation of Budget Transparency of the IMF indicates that Colombia has taken a significant leap forward in terms of building robust fiscal institutions, based on good transparency practices in recent years."}, {"bbox": [96, 1351, 1134, 1486], "category": "Text", "text": "To make further progress in transparency, the government could consider: (1) produce and publish the Mid-Year Review online in a timely manner and reinforce the comprehensiveness of the Pre-Budget Statement, the Year-End report and the audit report (2) Further use ICTs for citizen's engagement (3) Actively engage with vulnerable and underrepresented communities, either directly or through civil society organisations representing them (4) reinforce the legislative oversight over the audit Report and publish a report with their findings online."}, {"bbox": [96, 1496, 1106, 1525], "category": "Text", "text": "**In conclusion, the relevant budget documentation has been published and the eligibility criterion is met.**"}, {"bbox": [1027, 1680, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 13 of 28"}]