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Previous Global Government Finance Summits

Although the event is held under the Chatham House rule and some of the discussions are too sensitive to put into the public domain, many of the ideas and solutions that emerge may be of value to civil servants around the world. So Global Government Forum has sought delegates’ permission to use specific quotes, producing this report to help public servants understand and address some of the issues and agendas facing the world’s finance ministries.


2022

Held in Tallinn on 1 & 2 June 2022, hosted by Evelyn Liivamägi, Deputy Secretary General for Financial and Tax Policy, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Estonia.

Knowledge Partners

 

Agenda and report

A high price for inaction? Addressing inflation
When the black swans come home to roost: explaining inflation

A study of stimulus: lessons from pandemic support programmes
The economic emergency services: finance departments and the pandemic

Finance leaders’ crucial roles in digital transformation
Money talks – but does it listen? How government finance departments can help unlock digital transformation

Policymaking: finance as an enabler, not a constraint
More information but less influence? A dilemma for government finance departments

A sustainable future for fiscal policy
The green gold rush: a sustainable future for finance policy

“It’s not difficult to understand this inflation. The difficult thing to understand is why it took so long. There was a huge monetary and fiscal expansion for almost 15 years. Everything comes up in bubbles – and those bubbles are surfacing now.”

Dr Markus Sovala, Director General, Statistics Finland

2021

Held virtually on 21 & 22 October 2021 

Knowledge Partners

Agenda and report

The big picture: managing economic growth and the public finances
‘A global inflection point’: Government finance chiefs set out how their countries are launching the post-COVID economy

A broader balance sheet: accounting for the real world
Fixing governments’ broken financial systems

Threat assessment: matching risk and resources
Always in the front line: the impossible demands of crisis response

Leading the way in civil service finance
Calculated risks: the pathfinding role of government finance chiefs

“It’s only a matter of time before the next pandemic, and to address that we have to go beyond national spending. We’ll need to look at new multilateral systems; better early warning systems; better systems of vaccine manufacturing and distribution. Otherwise, we’ll be back where we are today: tackling a crisis.”

Wenshan Yeo, Director of Economic Programmes, Ministry of Finance, Singapore

2020

Held virtually on 22 & 23 October 2020 

Knowledge Partners

 

Agenda and report

Learning from the financial crisis: economic growth and public finances from 2021
Spare room superheroes: how finance departments met the pandemic threat

Rebuilding economies: stimulus packages for tomorrow’s economies
Feeding the people, not the sharks: supporting citizens through the pandemic

Resource allocation, system oversight and the drive for public sector impact
Layers upon layers: how financial data paints a picture of the pandemic

Funding and delivering infrastructure in the post-COVID world
Building for the future: delivering infrastructure for the post-COVID world

“It was in our hands to prevent this real economy crisis from becoming a financial crisis.”

Pablo de Ramón-Laca
Director General of Treasury and Financial Policy, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Spain

2019

Took place in Paris on 6 & 7 June 2019, hosted by Michel Houdebine, Chief Economist, Ministry of Economy and Finance, France.

Knowledge Partners

 

Agenda and report

Preparing for the next economic crisis
The roots of risk: how economic imbalances are poisoning politics

Monitoring and managing public sector performance
Happy shoppers: spending public money well

Finance departments’ crucial roles in digital transformation
Treasuries & transformation: finance departments’ key roles in digital

Building productivity, sharpening competitiveness
The productivity problem: causes, consequences and cures

Don’t respond, avert: funding preventive services
The power of prevention: de-risking the future

“The Global Government Finance Summit exists to help you as leaders of finance ministries to learn from and build links with your peers overseas, identifying the tools and innovations that can help you overcome the challenges you face.”

Kevin Sorkin, CEO, Global Government Forum


2018

Took place in Berlin on 27 & 28 April 2018, hosted by Ludger Schuknecht, Chief Economist, Federal Ministry of Finance, Berlin, Germany

Knowledge Partners

 

“I was struck by how much we have in common, particularly in shared services development and in areas where we could make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to work with government.”

Rosemary Huxtable, Secretary, Department of Finance, Australia


2017

Took place in London on 19 & 20 May 2017, hosted by Tom Scholar, Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury.

Knowledge Partners

 

 

“It’s really good to hear a perspective from virtually every continent on the globe on how very different countries deal with common issues and challenges, picking up new ideas that we can all take back to our finance ministries and think about. The challenge is to return to work more enthusiastic about our ability to think differently and constructively in trying to address these things.”

James Bowler, Director General for Public Spending, HM Treasury, UK


2016

Hosted in Singapore by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance in April 2016, this second annual event was attended by high-ranking civil servants from nine countries, along with representatives from knowledge partner EY and event organiser Global Government Forum.

Knowledge Partners

“I believe we learn best from our peers through
such open conversations… delegates would be
tapping into the wisdom everyone has distilled
from years of policymaking.”

Peter Ong, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Singapore


2015

Hosted in Singapore by Mr Peter Ong, Permanent Secretary for its finance ministry in April 2015, the event was attended by senior officials from 14 countries across four continents, with representatives of CIPFA International and knowledge partner EY.

Knowledge Partners

“Useful insights of practices that work in other countries. Sharing discussions are candid which is very helpful.”

Lim Soo Hoon, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Singapore