Members of the SAASF bureau faced the press yesterday at Pavé Antaninarenina. Financial Services Administrators (ASF) are calling for more technicians in key positions within financial administration. A demand that places expertise in managing public funds back at the center of debate. The Union of Financial Services Administrators (SAASF) presented its position during a press conference held yesterday at Pavé Antaninarenina, while announcing its General Assembly scheduled for October 1st. "The ASF corps is the only body specially trained at ENAM to manage and execute the finance law. It is our core business," recalls Victor Randrianasolo, a member of the SAASF bureau. A way of emphasizing that the training and experience of technicians should carry more weight in the allocation of senior positions. He noted that political considerations sometimes take precedence over expertise. "Even though some of us hold positions, their number remains far below what it should be," he laments. For the SAASF, the issue therefore extends beyond appointments. It also concerns the place given to technical skills in the management of public finances. Competence, ethics and professional conduct must, according to the union, constitute essential criteria in the choices made by the administration. National Assemblies The SAASF does not intend to stop at this position. Its General Assembly, scheduled for October 1st, must prepare the National Assemblies of the corps and allow for a common roadmap to emerge. Budget decentralization will be among the topics addressed. The union wants better distribution of resources at the territorial level, so that public spending better responds to the needs of the population. In debates on the form of the State, the ASF intend to bring their expertise on financial viability issues. The SAASF welcomes recent appointments of executives from the ASF corps and commends collaboration with other administrative bodies, including tax inspectors. But for the union, these advances are not enough. Technical expertise must find its place in depoliticizing key positions in the State's financial management.