Faster contracting and disbursement process in the utilisation of EU funds2011. november 2.
Minister for National Development Tamás Fellegi opened the international Conference of Competitiveness Operational Programmes, hosted for the seventh year by the National Development Agency, Magyar Gazdaságfejlesztési Központ Zrt. and the European Commission, on 27 October 2011. In his speech, he spoke of the great progress that has been made both in the area of the regularity of EU funds allocation and the speed of disbursements since the election of the new government. In the near future, the Government will set out in a decree the full utilisation of the total assistance budget, as well as the additional tasks to be carried out for the sake of accelerating the system.
Presenting the achievements, the Minister explained that the rate of transit of development funds to the economy has substantially accelerated: the value of weekly disbursements has nearly tripled from an average of HUF 5.5 billion to an average of HUF 15 billion. The acceleration is reflected by the increase in the weekly amount of disbursements, which reached HUF 35.1 billion at the last registered date. The last year has seen a dynamic rise in signed contracts: compared to the previous 103, a weekly average of 174 contracts are concluded at present. In case of New Széchenyi Plan projects, the institutional system is complying with brief decision-making and contracting deadlines in all procedural categories.
These results have been achieved with less funds available compared to the previous period. The ministry also has to deal with the inherited opaque, overly complex and cumbersome regulatory environment and institutional system, and the bureaucracy that has become embedded in the system, added Minister Fellegi.
Based on the operating experience of the first one to one and a half years, substantial restructuring is now underway in the Ministry of Development. The central element of this process is the reinforcement of the State Secretariat for Development Policy Coordination. The department handles the areas of economic development, green economy and info-communications together and in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy.
For the sake of simpler tendering, tendering calls – which are announced continuously – are made available in a unified and harmonised framework. Electronic tendering is widely accessible, data forms have become shorter, with significantly fewer data fields. The process of making statements has been simplified and much less annexes have to be submitted now.
A government decree under preparation will summarise the compulsory tasks aimed at further accelerating the system. The complex accelerating package will create complex measures simultaneously improving all conditions of disbursements, in contrast with the ad hoc interventions of previous governments. The solutions built upon the cooperation of project owners and the state may further shorten the time required for procedural steps and increase invoice volumes. In the context of the New Széchenyi Plan, the Government will make nearly HUF 1400 billion available to renew Hungary, develop its economy and reinforce society, added Minister Fellegi.
He also stresses that in the course of planning the upcoming EU financial cycle, Hungary must take a firm stance besides maintaining a strong cohesion policy. The external competitiveness of the EU is inseparable from the community’s internal cohesion. CEE countries share common interests and have similar experiences, so all the conditions for effective and fruitful joint action are in place in this policy area.
Under the auspices of the Polish EU Presidency, this year’s Conference of Competitiveness Operational Programmes will see the leaders and experts of the intermediate bodies and ministerial departments of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Serbia, Slovakia and Romania present proven solutions and coordinate their plans for the upcoming financial cycle.