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Financed by: Oxfam (www.oxfam.org) Time interval: 2008
Partnership with: European Movement Albania (member of European Movement www.europeanmovement.eu)
URI in collaboration with European Movement Albania has conducted a study report that provides inputs on the ways by which the Budget Design and Implementation at the local level affects the rural poverty. Based on the inputs of the study report, URI and EMA have undertaken a set of activities to set up an advocacy model, at both local and central level, for a proper attention to the budget allocation at the rural sector.
Albania is rural-based economy country, and although this sector gives about 25 % of its contribution to the total GDP still a low percentage of the total budge around 0.8% is allocated to this sector. In the due course of the project there was a close collaboration with representatives from policy and decision makers such as Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Finance etc to coordinate the efforts for advocacy and lobbying for more budget allocated for agriculture. Also the project aimed to raise awareness and enhance the citizens participation from rural areas in budget design process, to address the agriculture as a priority in the national strategies for sustainable development and economic prosperity. Main activities carried out for the preparation of the study report were as follows:
• Undertaking a comparative analysis of the rural budget and its implementation for 2007-2008: main actors involved, and the legal framework that controls it in collaboration with the responsible institutions.
• Providing arguments and raising awareness for civil society and media to lobby for better share and use of funds for agriculture sector (advocacy activities, such as hearing sessions, policy papers, press conference )
• Providing information on international best practices about design and management of rural budgets that can be suitable for the conditions of Albania.
• Outlining a set of recommendations for budget changes that address macroeconomic development, focused on agricultural development that includes: information and reporting system that enhances effective decision-making and financial performance indicators that permit trend analysis and intergovernmental comparison.
• Establishing linkages between the national and local budget and expected outcomes that support agricultural development.
This study report supported by raising awareness activities contributes for more agriculture budget allocation in Albania that would bring benefits to:
1. Involvement of many actors of interest in decision making process by improving budget planning, expenditures and revenues for rural sector.
2. More working places especially for the population in the rural areas and improvement of living conditions there.
3. Increase the production of agriculture products produced in Albania to supply better the local market, taking into account the food prices increasing in international market.
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