Finance Minister of France
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Coordinates: 48°50′21″N, 2°22′33″E

The new ministry building in Bercy, Paris

The Minister of the Economy, Industry and Employment (ministre de l'Économie, de l'Industrie 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.

It now has 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", "industry", or "Finances".

The Minister of Finance supervises:

• the preparation of the taxation rules (she 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 confused 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, regulation and control of economy including industry, tourism, small business, concurrence and consumer security, and other matters excluding energy, industrial security, environmental affairs and transportations which are under the authority of the Ministre d’Etat, Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Planning and Development;
• employment policies and career education.

By her 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 council 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, Industry 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

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Ministère des finances de Bercy