1. Cdor. Marcos Makón
General Director - OPC
11th Annual Meeting of OECD Parliamentary Budget Officials and Independent
Fiscal Institutions
Lisbon, Portugal – February 2019
5. ABOUT THE OPC
The Congressional Budget Office (known by its Spanish acronym, OPC) is an autonomous body of
the Argentine National Congress whose basic role is to provide technical assistance to both
Chambers of Parliament in the analysis and follow up of fiscal matters.
It intends to feed into the legislative debate with technical tools that facilitate the interpretation of the
initiatives that involve public resources, both those that emerge in Parliament or those that come from
the Executive Branch of Government.
6. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND RESOURCES
The OPC was created by Law 27,343 in 2016 with great consensus in Parliament.
It has a separate budget within the Legislative Branch. The General Director is responsible for the
administrative and financial management of the office.
7. WHAT IS NOT THE OPC?
Audit institution
Congressional committee
Agency that replicates functions of the Finances Ministry
8. WHO OVERSEES ITS OPERATIONS?
The management of the OPC is supervised by the Parliamentary Oversight Committee,
which includes the authorities of the Budget and Finance Committees of both Chambers of
the National Congress. Its main task is to approve the internal regulations of the Office, its
annual work plan and budget and the accountability for its management. It can formally
request both Chambers the dismissal of any of the Directors due to misconduct.
9. STRUCTURE
The highest authority of the OPC is the General Director, assisted by four
directors with specific functions in different subject areas: Budgetary analysis,
Tax analysis, Research, analysis and evaluation, and Debt sustainability analysis.
They remain in their positions for five years and are appointed through a
competitive selection process. It also has a permanent staff of twenty analysts
selected by the same way.
10. REPORTS AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION
The OPC carries out analyses and projections according to that established in Law
27,343 and upon request of the Budget and Finance Committees of both Chambers.
They are published on the OPC website.
To develop its work, the law provides for full access to the Integrated Financial
Information System (known by its Spanish acronym, eSidif), the Debt Management and
Financial Analysis System (SIGADE). Additionally the OPC has obtained access to the
National System of Public Investment (BAPIN) and other information systems of the
National Administration (ex. SIFEP).
11. REPORTS AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION
The OPC work covers different topics:
National Administration Budget Draft
Public Sector Budget execution
Impact analysis of budgetary management
Public debt
Tax policy
Fiscal federalism and other studies
13. COMPATIBILITY WITH IFI´s PRINCIPLES ACCORDING TO OECD
Local ownership X
Independence and non-partisanship X
Mandate X
Resources X
Relationship with legislature X
Access to information X
Transparency X
Communication X
External evaluation
14. INITIAL STEPS
The Parliamentary Oversight Committee approved the internal regulations of the OPC
Consolidation of the physical infrastructure (office space and IT systems)
Institutional website: www.opc.gob.ar. Provides a transparent communication platform and online
access to information
Launching of the Institutional Communication and Media Plan
About 20 reports published .
First competitive selection process to appoint analysts
15. WHAT´S NEXT?
Development of own macroeconomic and fiscal forecasts
Development of inhouse database integrating fiscal data for federal, provincial and municipal public
sector
Training and technical support for congressional advisory staff
Selection of permanent staff of analysts
Inclusion of external evaluation
Development of effective communications channels
Appointment of the Advisory Council
Encouragement of sub-national IFIs
16. CHALLENGES
To reduce information asymmetry between Executive and Legislative Branches regarding Budget
data
To expand the production of reports maintaining and enhancing quality
To include impact analysis in our reports
To become a reference source for legislators
To become a respected institution for citizens, NGOs and other IFIs due to the objectivity and high
quality of our reports
17. RISKS
External pressures (from politics/lobby groups)
Failure to achieve high-quality analysis
Loss of political support