(Redirected from Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (France))
The Minister for the Economy, Finance and Employment
The 'Minister for the Economy, Finance and Employment' (''ministre de l'Économie, des Finances et de l'Emploi''), or 'Minister of Finance' for short, is one of the most prominent positions in the
cabinet of France after the
Prime Minister.
He has now a colleague of equal rank: the 'Minister for the Budget, the Public Accounts and Civil Service' (''ministre du Budget, des Comptes publics et de la Fonction publique'').
The exact title of the minister has varied throughout time; it may not always include "economy" and "industry", but it always includes "Finances".
The Minister of Finance supervises:
★ the preparation of the taxation rules (he has a direct authority above the ''Direction de la législation fiscale'' (Board for Tax Policy) of the ''Direction générale des impôts'' (General Board of Internal Revenue Service));
★ the financial assets of the State and the financial and economic national system (especially with the ''Direction générale du Trésor et de la politique économique'' (Géneral Board of the Treasury and for Economic Policy, not to be confounded with the ''Trésor Public'' (Public Treasury) that is the ''Direction générale de la comptabilité publique'' (General Board for Public Accounts)) under minister of Budget's authority);
★ the development, the regulation and the control of Economy including Industry, Tourism, Small Business, Concurrence and Consumer Security, ''etc.'' but excluding Energy, Industrial Security, Environmental Affairs and Transportations whose are under the authority of the Ministre d’Etat,
Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Planning and Development;
★ the employement policies and career education.
By his authority above the financial assets of the State, the financial and economic national system and the taxation rules, the Minister is allowed to represent France in the European Union concil of the minister of the Economy and Finance (ECOFIN).
See: http://www.minefi.gouv.fr/directions_services/sircom/ministere/organigramme_minefe.htm
The current Minister of the Economy, Finance and the Employment is
Christine Lagarde.
The Minister for the Budget, Public Accounts and the Civil Service
The Minister for the Budget, Public Accounts and the Civil Service supervises:
★ the preparation of the finance law (
budget) (with the help of his colleague 'Minister for the Economy, Finances and Employment' in taxation ruling matters, he requires the Board for Tax Policy of the ''
Direction générale des impôts''), which is then submitted to
Parliament for
amendment and final approval;
★ the
taxation system :
★ the accounting of the State and all public bodies (by the ''
''Direction générale de la comptablilité publique'').
The
French taxation system is supervised by three separate board:
★ the ''
Direction générale des impôts'' for tax evaluation and collecting some taxes such as
VAT or
corporate tax;
★ the ''
Direction générale de la comptablilité publique'' (or ''
Trésor Public'') for collecting some other taxes calculated by the ''
Direction générale des impôts'' including
income tax or local taxes based on Estate locative value.
★ the ''
Direction générale des douanes et des droits indirects'' for
customs, for tax on petrol and fuels and for
special indirect taxes such as taxes on alcohol, tobacco, etc.);
The taxation
information system are being modernised by the so-called
Copernic tax project.
By delegation of the Prime Minister, he supervises also the Public Services (essentially statutes and salaries of the State, local and hospital Public Services) and the modernisation of the State (including computing means).
He is responsible with their colleagues for Health, Youth and Sport and for Labour, Labour Relations and Solidarity of the equilibrium of social accounts.
See: http://www.minefi.gouv.fr/directions_services/sircom/ministere/organigramme_mbcpfp.htm
The current Minister for the Budget, Public Accounts and the Civil Service is
Eric Woerth.
Location
The Ministry of Finances is situated in
Bercy, a district in
Paris (in the
12th arrondissement). The building extends to the
Seine River, where there is an embarcadero with fast river boats for faster liaisons to other government agencies.
That is why the French media often refer to it as simply "Bercy". The sentence ''the Bercy Fortress'' (''la forteresse de Bercy'') refers to the Ministry as a dark department with obtuse
civil servants, especially of high rank. That is emphasized by the impressive look of the building.
For evident practical reasons, the two ministers share the building and some common services that were under the former ministry of Economy, Finances and Industry.
See also
★
List of Finance Ministers of France
★
Superintendent of Finances - French Minister of Finance 1561- 1661
★
Controller-General of Finances - French Minister of Finance 1661 - 1791
External links
★
Composition of Government
★
Common site of the two ministries
★
The French taxation site