Directorate General II

Slogan

The Directorate General for Budget and Public Finances assumes overall responsibility for the Austrian federal budget and its goal is to achieve sustained consolidation of public finances.

Data and facts

• Head: Univ.-Doz. Dr. Gerhard Steger
• 10 Divisions
• approximately 100 employees

The overall responsibility for the Austrian federal budget is an essential core competence of the Federal Minister of Finance. At the administrative level this responsibility is assumed by the Directorate General for Budget and Public Finances.

The Directorate General for Budget and Public Finances is the financial nervous centre at the federal level. It is responsible for spending public funds used for financing public functions in an efficient, thrifty and expedient manner. It draws up and executes the federal budget and is responsible for the financial relations of the Federal State with its political subdivisions, social security institutions and the EU.

Strategic goals

• long-term and sustained consolidation of public finances
• safeguarding "value for money" by structural reforms in areas of budgetary relevance

Range of activities

• The Directorate General for Budget and Public Finances prepares and executes the federal budget in co-operation with the competent Ministries.
  The budget is prepared in compliance with the Government Programme.
  The goal is to continue with the consolidation of the budget by cutting expenditure and to strictly implement the structural reforms initiated by the Federal Government.

 

• The Directorate General for Budget and Public Finances is very much involved in shaping domestic financial relations and in co-ordinating the budgetary policies of the Federal State, the Provinces and the Municipalities.
  This includes revenue sharing negotiations, sustainable safeguarding of domestic financial stability, and implementing the relevant rules.
  The goal is to achieve the most efficient financial framework for the Federal State and its political subdivisions with regard to effective performance of public functions.

 

• The Directorate General for Budget and Public Finances is responsible for the financial flows between the EU budget and the Austrian federal budget and looks after Austrian interests with regard to the EU budgetary policy.
  This includes being involved in the budget procedure, in shaping and implementing financial perspectives and in the further development of the budget law of the Community.
  The goal is to ensure budgetary and spending discipline in the EU budget and a fair and balanced financing system of the EU.

 

• The Directorate General for Budget and Public Finances works to a large extent on introducing structural reforms and New Public Management tools in the area of federal administration.
  This includes being involved in the reform projects of the Federal Government and in the further development of budgetary law in accordance with the principles of New Public Management.
  The goal is to establish an institutional and financial framework which safeguards an efficient, thrifty and expedient use of public funds and increases the "value for money" in the most efficient manner.

Organisation

The Directorate General for Budget and Public Finances has a flat and slim organisational structure: ten divisions work directly under the co-ordination of the head of the Directorate General.

Some of the divisions are responsible for other Ministries, each Ministry having its contact person in the Ministry of Finance. The other divisions are entrusted with trans-sectoral tasks (e.g. revenue sharing, EU budget, budget law, budget planning and controlling) and with co-ordination.

Approximately one third of the heads of divisions and more than half of the deputies are women.

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