[{"bbox": [85, 151, 1145, 205], "category": "Text", "text": "delivery of public services, insufficient information on performance and weakness in medium-term budget planning, need to strengthen internal and external control and transparency of the procurement system."}, {"bbox": [85, 216, 1145, 323], "category": "Text", "text": "Colombia's current tax system does not collect enough to finance the provision of services that can increase inclusive and sustainable economic growth. It is necessary to increase revenues to finance investments as well as to expand the social safety net to effectively reduce poverty and inequality, but also it is urgent to improve fiscal transparency and strengthen the tax administration authority (DIAN)."}, {"bbox": [85, 335, 1145, 469], "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. Monitoring is done on a semi-annual basis, with a first report in December 2020 and the closing report as of 31 December 2029, for a total of 19 semi-annual reports over a period of 9 years."}, {"bbox": [85, 480, 1145, 614], "category": "Text", "text": "Important progress has 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 complete framework for sovereign green bonds. In 2020, a gender budgetary marker 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": [85, 625, 1145, 785], "category": "Text", "text": "In July 2020, a trust fund of USD 250 million (IADB credit line) was approved to finance the national policy for the **Nation Administration Tax Authority (DIAN) Modernisation Programme**. The national policy aims at improving tax collection levels through the technological and organisational modernisation of DIAN. Colombia and the IMF undertook the first virtual TADAT evaluation in 2020¹¹. The TADAT evaluation report has not been yet published. However, it will be a positive input in the current process of reform of the Nation Administration Tax Authority (DIAN)."}, {"bbox": [85, 796, 1145, 904], "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 the tax system."}, {"bbox": [103, 918, 1145, 973], "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": [96, 1028, 598, 1059], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 2.3.4 Transparency and Oversight of the Budget"}, {"bbox": [96, 1070, 1133, 1151], "category": "Text", "text": "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, 1161, 1133, 1376], "category": "Text", "text": "The 2021 OBI¹² 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. 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. 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."}, {"bbox": [96, 1387, 1133, 1547], "category": "Text", "text": "Colombia however needs to reinforce citizen participation mechanisms in every stage of the budget process. In terms of public participation in the budget process, Colombia scores very low, 13 out of 100. Some improvements have been made in the past years, such as the establishment of e-consultations during budget implementation or public hearings related to the approval of the annual budget. However, to further strengthen public participation, Colombia should reinforce mechanisms to promote formal spaces in which meaningful dialogue between government and citizens can occur. In addition, members from the public or civil society organisations should be"}, {"bbox": [85, 1596, 775, 1622], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹¹ https://soundcloud.com/user-447764551/colombia-first-virtual-tadat-evaluation"}, {"bbox": [85, 1621, 280, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹² Open Budget Index"}, {"bbox": [1027, 1680, 1145, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 11 of 32"}]