THE MUNICPAL TEASURY

Under the authority of the Municipal Treasurer, the municipal revenue office is the financial department responsible for the municipality’s budgetary and financial management. It prepares the municipal budget, monitors expenditures and revenues, prepares financial statements, and so on. It is also in charge of managing the municipality’s debt and loans.

The Municipal Treasurer
As a public accountant attached to a decentralized local authority and subject to the supervision of the Minister of Finance (MINFI), the municipal treasurer acts as a financial advisor to the mayor. In this capacity, they are responsible for processing and collecting revenue orders submitted to them by authorizing officers. Generally, they are responsible for:

– the collection of revenue and the payment of duly justified expenses;

– the preservation of funds and assets;

– the handling of funds and the movement of available funds;

– of maintaining the accounting records for his position.

What are his Attributions?
The municipal treasurer is responsible for , among other things:

– the implementation of budgetary and accounting regulations;

– the collection of authorized local public revenues;

– the settlement of expenses of the Decentralized Territorial Authority;

– the maintenance of budgetary and general accounting;

– the integration into general accounting of assets and liabilities for the purpose of establishing the opening balance sheet of the local authority;

– financial, budgetary and accounting analysis;

– the safekeeping and preservation of funds, securities and instruments;

– handling of funds and movements of available accounts;

– the daily production of the cash flow statement;

– the production of periodic and annual summary statements;

– the production of the cash flow plan;

– management control;

– the production of annual financial statements consisting of the balance sheet, the income statement, the cash flow statement, and the notes to the financial statements;

– the preservation of supporting documents for transactions and accounting documents;

– the control and clearance of operations of revenue collection and advance payment offices;

– the initiation of write-off procedures.

In carrying out his duties, the Municipal Treasurer ensures:

1) Regarding revenue, the control:

– the authorization to collect revenue;

– the collection and liquidation of debts, as well as the formal regularity of reductions and cancellations of revenue instruments, within the limits of the information available to them;

2) Regarding expenditure, the control:

– the regularity of expenditures;

– the accreditation of the authorizing officer or his delegate;

– the allocation of the expense;

– the availability of payment credits;

– the exact budgetary allocation of expenditures, in accordance with the principles defined by the budgetary and accounting nomenclature, according to their nature or purpose;

– the validity of the claim;

– the discharge of liability of the payment;

3) Regarding assets, control:

– the preservation of rights, privileges and mortgages of intangible and tangible fixed assets;

– from the taking charge to the inventory of acquired financial and non-financial assets.

The check carried out by the Municipal Treasurer on the validity of third-party claims covers :

– certification by the authorizing officer of the service rendered;

– the production of supporting documents required by the regulations;

– the accuracy of the calculations for settling the debt;

– the existence of the budgetary visa on credit movements and commitments;

– the production of supporting documents and, where applicable, the certificate of acceptance into the inventory;

– the application of the rules of limitation and forfeiture of the debt.

See also :

DECREE No. 2023/475 OF 07 November 2023 specifying certain responsibilities and setting the benefits of public accountants placed with Decentralised Territorial Collectivities.

The process of preparing a municipal budget: key steps
A municipality’s budget is an essential tool for ensuring its financial management. It allows for the planning of the municipality’s expenditures and revenues for the coming year. But how is it established? What are the key steps in the budgeting process at the municipal level?

The preparation of the provisional budget

The first step in preparing a municipality’s budget is the development of a provisional budget. This involves estimating the revenues and expenses expected for the following year. To do this, the municipality’s finance department will take into account various factors, such as anticipated subsidies, local taxes, state grants, operating expenses, and planned investments.

Consulting municipal services

Once the provisional budget is established, it is submitted to the various municipal departments for consultation. Each department will examine the expenditures that concern it and propose any necessary modifications. This allows the budget to be adjusted according to the needs and priorities of each department.

Consultation with elected officials

After consultation with municipal departments, the draft budget is presented to the elected officials of the municipality. They will review the budget as a whole and propose amendments if necessary. It is during this stage that decisions are made to define the municipality’s priorities in terms of spending and investments.

The adoption of the budget by the city council

Once adjustments have been made following consultations with elected officials, the draft budget is submitted to a vote by the municipal council. It is at this point that the budget is officially adopted. The elected officials will then vote on all the revenues and expenditures projected for the coming year.

Budget implementation

Once the budget is adopted, the municipality will be able to implement the various planned actions. Municipal departments will proceed with the expenditures listed in the budget and implement the scheduled investments. It is essential to regularly monitor budget execution to ensure adherence to financial projections.

Budget monitoring and evaluation

Throughout the year, the municipality’s budget is regularly monitored. The finance department compares actual expenditures and revenues with initial projections. This allows for an assessment of the municipality’s financial health and the implementation of corrective measures if necessary.

Conclusion

Preparing a municipal budget is a complex process requiring the participation of all municipal departments and elected officials. It is an essential tool for ensuring sound and transparent financial management of the local community. By respecting the various key stages of budget preparation, the municipality can guarantee the implementation of its projects and the well-being of its residents.

See also :

Methodological guide to budget programming (Manual for budgetary framework and medium-term expenditure programming at the local government level)

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