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PРУRБOРJEИCКTАS
We expect that the were assessed as neutral, that is, with visually presents the costs and the con-
completion of the net current value close to zero. Still, in tributions of the nine policies. Through
project FISCAST is some of them the result depended on an interactive visualization, every per-
a commencement the input assumptions of the model tak- son can find out whether the public pol-
of a debate which ing into consideration that a part of the icy is cost-efficient in the analyzed peri-
will be moved by the effects of the policies in the future was od, what are the costs and contributions
network FISCAST- assessed. Two policies were unequivo- in each year, and/or to look what are the
NET. The knowledge cally negative, that is, the public money alternatives and the scenarios of specific
that is embedded that were spend for these policies are policies. The second tool is called “When
in this network, the not economically justifiable. The book you could be a minister of finance”. This
ideas, the established “How is public money being spent? Anal- interactive tool provides every citizen
cooperation in the ysis of the costs and the contributions of to be put into a position of a minister of
long run aims to selected public policies in Macedonia?” is finance, to make a decision on the debt
change the image a sublimate and a common publication and the taxes and to make a schedule
of “black-white” of these analyses. of the available means. The first task of
policies, the debate this tool is to decide how much you will
should be based on The second goal of the project was borrow and what will be your tax poli-
evidence, and less on the raise the public awareness and in- cy. This will have an indirect effect on
subjective attitudes, formedness about the fiscal policies. This the available assets. The second task is
and the policies part was a huge challenge. First, in con- how to spend money. Are there specific
should be created ditions of a political crisis and a polar- sectors such as education, health care,
through greater ized debate to encourage the debate on capital expenditures which are of es-
inclusion of the the spending of public money and fiscal sential importance and will you protect
stakeholders policies without being “labeled” as a rep- the spending in these sectors regardless
resentative of one or the other political of the available assets? The objective of
side. Second, in conditions of insufficient this tool is to show that more money in
informedness and awareness of the citi- the Budget can be reached through in-
zens of the process of spending public creased taxes or increased debts, and
money, the importance of the debt and the available assets in the Budget are
the adopted policies, we need to create limited, and if we want to spend more
tools and means in order to increase the in some sectors, we must reduce some
informedness. In order to achieve this others. One of the products that reached
goal, a series of round tables was orga- the widest audience was the short video
nized, where it was discussed about the “How is public money being spent?”. The
public policies, the results were present- video represents a presentation how to
ed before students and a wider audience, spend your 100 denars paid as taxes, how
and experts in the appropriate field and much of you hundred denars is being
the holders of the policies were a part of spent for interests from debts. In addi-
the speakers. The series of debates end- tion, the video provides a wider image of
ed with an Economic forum titled “How the fiscal policy, the course of the public
is public money being spent?” on March debt, the transparency etc.
29th in Skopje. The event was attended
by more than 100 representatives of the We expect that the completion of the
non-governmental sector, embassies, in- project FISCAST is a commencement of
ternational organizations, holders of pol- a debate which will be moved by the net-
icies, economic journalists, professors work FISCAST-NET. The knowledge that
and experts. The final event was only a is embedded in this network, the ideas,
confirmation of the great need of evi- the established cooperation in the long
dence-based debate. In addition, a range run aims to change the image of “black-
of simple, visual and informative prod- white” policies, the debate should be
ucts was designed, data and tools that based on evidence, and less on subjec-
reach the wide audience. Part of these tive attitudes, and the policies should be
tools are an integral part of the page of created through greater inclusion of the
resources www.fiscast.mk. The first tool stakeholders.
38 May 2016
