TY - BOOK ID - 84541037 TI - Top-Down Budgeting—An Instrument to Strengthen Budget Management PY - 2009 SN - 1462343651 1452774277 1283514966 9786613827418 1451990278 PB - Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, DB - UniCat KW - Budgeting KW - Public Finance KW - National Budget KW - Budget Systems KW - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: General KW - Fiscal Policy KW - Budgeting & financial management KW - Public finance & taxation KW - Macroeconomics KW - Budget planning and preparation KW - Expenditure KW - Total expenditures KW - Fiscal policy KW - Central government spending KW - Budget KW - Expenditures, Public KW - Switzerland UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:84541037 AB - This paper examines the rationale for a top-down approach to budget preparation and approval, and discusses some factors that have to be considered when reorienting the budget process along these lines. The paper argues that the sequence in which budgetary decisions are taken matters, and that a strong top-down approach strengthens fiscal discipline and improves policy prioritization and coordination. Top-down budgeting also alters the division of roles and responsibilities between the central budget authority and line ministries, and requires that the process of determining the total expenditure level, sectoral allocations and individual appropriations is clarified. Finally, the paper argues that strong top-down elements in the parliamentary budget voting process can be effective in addressing the risk of excessive and unsustainable amendments during budget approval. ER -