BUDGET OFFICE OF THE NATION ' S CONGRESS

Law 27343

Creation.

The Senate and Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation, meeting in Congress, etc., are sanctioned by law:

CREATION OF THE BUDGET OFFICE OF THE CONGRESS OF THE NATION

ARTICLE 1-Create the Office of the Congressional Budget (abbreviated OPC for the purposes of this law) as a deconcentrated body of the Honorable Congress of the Nation.

ARTICLE 2 °-They are functions, responsibilities, and powers of the Congressional Budget Office: 1. Analyze estimates of revenue, expenses, physical goals, and public debt contained in the annual budget bill. 2. To support the Budget and Finance committees and the Joint Review of Accounts of the Administration in the fulfillment of its objectives. 3. To make estimates of the budgetary impact of the bills entered into the commissions of the Budget and Finance, at the request of these commissions. 4. To carry out studies, analyses and evaluations of the impact achieved by government policies and programmes in relation to their budgetary allocation, at the request of the Budget and Finance committees. 5. Carry out analysis on the taxes in force and the impact and effectiveness of the bills that propose modifications and/or creation of taxes and taxes, at the request of the commissions of Budget and Finance. 6. Carry out studies on the topics related to fiscal federalism. 7. Carry out studies on the intertemporal sustainability of public debt, including analysis of registered debt, non-registered debt and contingent liabilities. 8. Promote the incorporation of the gender perspective in the allocation of budgetary resources. For this purpose, the tools of the Gender-Sensible Budget (PSG) will be used for the analysis of projects, in order to determine the budget for the elimination of gender inequalities. The budget assessment will also be promoted, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN). 9. To monitor compliance with the provisions of Article 37 of Law 24.156.

Article 3-For the fulfillment of the tasks of the OPC, the Executive Branch shall: 1. Provide the OPC with access to the Integrated Financial Reporting System (SIDIF) of the Secretariat of Finance and the Debt Management and Management System Public (SIGADE) of the Secretariat of

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Finance of the Ministry of Finance and Public Finance, for the monitoring of budgetary execution and public debt, ensuring compatibility with the provisions on statistical confidentiality of law 17,622 and the tax secrecy of the article 101 of the law 11.683. To this end, the Ministry of Finance and Public Finance will coordinate the access to the SIDIF and the SIADE of the OPC, and the latter is responsible for the due protection of internal information from the national executive branch. 2. To respond in a timely manner to the reports requested by the OPC on the implementation and the physical-financial performance of government programs, which will be channeled by the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers.

ARTICLE 4 °-The committees of the Congress shall forward to the OPC all the information with budgetary or economic interest necessary for the performance of their duties.

Article 5 °-The structure of the OPC will be organized by addresses according to the functions that the office must meet: 1. Budget analysis, which will support through reports to the commissions of Budget and Finance and to the Joint Review Commission of the accounts of the Administration. It will also carry out the analysis of the bills that have a budgetary impact on the expenditures of the national public sector, at the request of the aforementioned commissions. 2. Tax tax analysis, which will make estimates of the impact of the bills that modify or create taxes and taxes or affect the resources of the national administration, at the request of the commissions of the Budget and the Treasury. 3. Studies, analysis and evaluation, which will carry out studies, analyses and evaluations of the impact achieved by government policies and programmes in relation to their budgetary allocation, at the request of the Budget and Finance committees. 4. Sustainability and analysis of public debt, which will carry out studies and carry out monitoring through various indicators of public debt.

ARTICLE 6 °-The OPC shall be directed by a director general with the equivalent rank of the Secretary of the Chamber and by four (4) directors, with ranks equivalent to the pro-secretaries of the Chamber. Each of the directors shall be responsible for one of the addresses referred to in Article 5. The selection of the Director-General and the Directors shall be carried out by contest of opposition and antecedents to which all interested parties may present themselves. The applicants will be evaluated by an evaluator committee composed of nine (9) members: the president, first vice president and second vice president of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Chamber of Deputies; the president, vice president and the secretary of the Senate Committee on Budget and Finance; a (1) university professor of careers related to the positions to be elected by the National Interuniversity Council; a (1) representative elected by the Argentine Federation of Professional Councils of Economic Sciences and one (1) representative of the Argentine Association Budget and Public Financial Administration.

ARTICLE 7 °-The director general and the directors shall last five (5) years in their duties, with the possibility of being re-elected. They may be removed for poor performance in their duties prior to the end of their term of office by a simple majority vote of both Chambers, upon request of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee of the OPC, set up in Article 8 of the present. The Director-General shall accredit at least ten (10) years of professional and/or academic experience

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relevant in budgetary and/or economic matters in the field of public administration, the private sector, civil society or universities, as well as a degree or postgraduate degree in economics, public finances, public administration and policies, or related disciplines. The directors must accredit at least eight (8) years of relevant professional and/or academic experience in the respective subjects of each area, as well as degree or graduate degree in university degrees in those disciplines.

ARTICLE 8 °-The OPC will have a Parliamentary Oversight Committee composed of: the president, first and second vice presidents of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the president, the vice president and the Secretary of the Senate Budget and Finance Committee. The chair of the committee will alternate every two (2) years between the chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of each House. Decisions shall be taken by a simple majority and, in the event of a tie, the chairman of the Parliamentary Supervisory Committee shall have a double vote. The duties of the commission shall be: 1. Approve the internal rules of the body and any modifications thereto. 2. To approve the preliminary draft budget of the OPC, for its elevation to the presidency of the Chambers. 3. Delegate to the Director General the powers deemed necessary for the best fulfillment of the purposes of the Office of the Budget of the Congress. 4. Approve the annual work plan of the OPC. 5. To accept inheritances, legacies and donations, grants to be assigned to the OPC public or private bodies, national or foreign. 6. Require the various agencies of the national public administration to provide the temporary commission of appropriate personnel in the field necessary for the functioning of the Office of the Budget of the Congress. 7. Approve the annual memory of the Congressional Budget Office. 8. Request both Chambers of Congress to remove the Director General and/or the directors of the OPC. 9. To form an ad honorem advisory board of experts with a recognized experience in the field of the OPC to obtain recommendations on the best functioning of its task.

ARTICLE 9 °-The director general of the OPC will have the following duties and attributions: 1. Exercise the administration of the Congressional Budget Office. 2. Develop the annual operating plan. 3. Design the internal rules of operation of the OPC. 4. Draw up the preliminary draft budget of the OPC. 5. Prepare the annual memory of the OPC. 6. Manage cooperation agreements. 7. Promote the collection of public and private resources and funds, local and foreign, in order to meet the objectives of the OPC. 8. Define the communication strategy of the OPC. 9. Understand in the allocation of the human resources of the OPC for the achievement of its objectives. 10. Understand relationships with commissions. 11. Establish working methodologies. 12. To conduct public competitions for the selection of the body of analysts provided for in Article 10 of this Law.

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ARTICLE 10. -The Congressional Budget Office will have a Corps of Professional Analysts specializing in the respective themes set out in Article 5 °. The analysts will integrate the permanent plant of the Congress of the Nation and its endowment should not exceed twenty (20) professionals. They will be conditions for entry to the Body of Analysts: 1. Be native Argentine, naturalized or by option. 2. To be selected by an opposition public contest and background. 3. Possession of a degree corresponding to a career of a duration of not less than four (4) years in the same disciplines as the director general in the article 7 °. 4. Work experience in the specialty, accredited by a term not less than three (3) years after the titration.

ARTICLE 11. -The Chambers shall provide the administrative and support staff necessary for the operation of the OPC.

ARTICLE 12. -The appointments of the staff of the OPC will be carried out by joint resolution of the presidents of the two chambers, which will be caused and motivated in the conclusions that arrive the competitions of opposition and antecedents previewed in the present law.

ARTICLE 13. -To all administrative and functional effects, the OPC will maintain its relationship with each House through the Budget and Finance committees of the Chambers. The annual budget of expenditure and resources of the national public administration shall provide for the items necessary for the operation of the OPC. The office can receive donations, credit and international support for the best development of its activity.

ARTICLE 14. -All reports will be publicly accessible. They must be published on the websites of both Houses.

ARTICLE 15. -The OPC will be able to carry out cooperation agreements with government agencies, academic centers, research centers and civil society organizations, both in the country and abroad, for the best fulfillment of its mandate.

ARTICLE 16. -Invite the provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires to enter into cooperation agreements with the OPC to facilitate access to the information necessary for the office to comply with the functions provided for in this law.

ARTICLE 17. -The Congressional Budget Office will begin operating from the ninety (90) days of publication in the Official Gazette of this law.

ARTICLE 18. -Contact the national executive branch.

GIVEN IN THE SESSION HALL OF THE ARGENTINE CONGRESS, IN BUENOS AIRES, AT THE THIRTY DAYS OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER OF THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN.

-REGISTERED UNDER NO 27343-

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MARTA G. MICHELETTI. -EMILIO MONZO. -Eugenio Inchausti. -Juan P. Tunessi.

Date of publication: 21/12/2016

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