Troika e as autarquias

Roubado descaradamente do "Autarquia Digital" um blog absolutamente essencial do Hugo Cartaxeiro.

Já são conhecidas as medidas que a Troika impõe para o resgate financeiro de Portugal. O documento (PDF em Inglês) está disponivel para download no Expresso Online.

São várias as medidas propostas com impacto no segmento autárquico, mas talvez destacasse a redução do número de freguesias e municipios que o ponto 3.43 impõe para o próximo ciclo eleitoral. Não é quantificado, mas a expressão usada é “significantly reduce the number of such entities”. Também destaco a imposição da redução anual do número de trabalhadores (1% na AP Central e 2% na AP Local).

De uma análise inicial, as medidas que têm impacto nas autarquias são as seguintes:

1.14. Reduce transfers to local and regional authorities by at least EUR 175 million with a view to having this subsector contributing to fiscal consolidation;

Expenditure

1.7. Improve the working of the central administration by eliminating redundancies, increasing efficiency, reducing and eliminating services that do not represent a cost-effective use of public money. This should yield annual savings worth at least EUR 500 million. Detailed plans will be presented by the Portuguese authorities and will be assessed by Q1-2012; the budgetary impacts will spread to 2014. To this end, the government will:

(…)

v. promote mobility of staff in central, regional and local administrations;

Reporting

3.4. The existing annual report on tax expenditures will be improved, starting with the 2012 budget, in line with international best practices. The report will cover central, regional and local administrations. Technical assistance may be provided if necessary. [Q3-2011]

Privatisation

3.31. Prepare an inventory of assets, including real estate, owned by municipalities and regional governments, examining the scope for privatisation. [Q2-2012]

Public administration

3.40. In view of improving the efficiency of local administration and rationalising the use of resources, the Government will submit to Parliament a draft law by Q4-2011 so that each municipality will have to present its plan to attain the target of reducing their management positions and administrative units by at least 15% by the end of 2012. [Q2-2012] In what concerns regions, the Government will promote the initiatives needed[Q4-2011] so that each region will present its plan to attain the same target.

Central, regional and local administration

3.42. Regulate by law the creation and the functioning of foundations, associations, and similar bodies by the central and local administration. This law, which will also facilitate the closure of existing entities when warranted, will be prepared in coordination with a similar framework to be defined for SOEs. The law will define the monitoring and reporting mechanisms and evaluation performance. In addition, the Government will promote the initiatives needed [Q4-2011] so that the same objective is achieved by the regions.

3.43. Reorganise local government administration. There are currently around 308 municipalities and 4,259 parishes. By July 2012, the government will develop a consolidation plan to reorganize and significantly reduce the number of such entities. The Government will implement these plans based on agreement with EC and IMF staff. These changes, which will come into effect by the beginning of the next local election cycle, will enhance service delivery, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.

3.44. Carry out a study to identify potential duplication of activities and other inefficiencies between the central administration, local administration and locally-based central administration services. [Q4-2011] Based on this analysis, reform the existing framework to eliminate the identified inefficiencies. [Q2-2012]

Human resources

3.48. Limit staff admissions in public administration to achieve annual decreases in 2012- 2014 of 1% per year in the staff of central administration and 2% in local and regional administrations. The Government will submit to Parliament a draft law to implement this measure at local administration level and will promote the initiatives needed so that each region will present its plan to achieve the same target.[Q3-2011]