By Nasratu Kargbo
Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) has launched a scorecard on the first six months of 2021, with emphasis on selected mandatory information disclosure as per the 2016 Public Financial Management (PFM) Act and Regulations. According to their findings on the fiscal financial statement, the Ministry of Finance scored 53% for publishing the information , and got just 23% for not publishing the statement whilst only 24% were said to have been produced but not published. BAN also rated the Ministry’s compliance to the PFM Act as average.
In a bid to enhance accountability and transparency, the PFM Act together with its regulations gives provisions for mandatory disclosure of fiscal information from Ministries, Department and Agencies. BAN has done thorough monitoring on the Ministry’s compliance to certain laws and rules. The organisation’s main focus was to look at documents that were produced but not published, those produced and published and those documents not produced at all.
The PFM Act gives a specific timeline to the Ministry of Finance on when to upload fiscal statement. Looking at whether or not the Ministry has been complying with these laws, BAN decided to monitor the website. Out of seventeen documents, nine were published, four were produced but not published and four were not produced.
Many other documents were either uploaded on time, late, not published etc. amongst them which were the Fiscal Strategy Statement which was published late in both 2020 and 2021, and the State Budget Proposal was also published on time for both 2020 and 2021. The Quarterly Statement of the Consolidated Fund was published late in 2020 and on time in 2021, but the Annual Reports of Public Enterprises (by vote controllers) was not published in both 2020 and 2021 etc.
Program Officer of Budget Advocacy Network Abdulraman M. Sesay stated: “The ministry is doing somehow well, but they have the capacity to do more”. He said the 53% was an average performance, but said however they can do more. According to BAN they have designed a scorecard to put the government on her toes and make sure the government works in accordance with the 2016 PFM Act and its regulations which oblige them to publish specific information on their website.
The Deputy Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Ilara Mahdi commended BAN’s effort in keeping the government accountable. She said that at the Ministry, they have a Unit that looks at the PFM Act and how they are implementing it. She however admitted it was good to have an external body that keeps an eye on the ministry. Mahdi said the scorecard will help the ministry improve on some areas.
The Assistant Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance Osman Alpha Kamara said most times departments are stretched due to the workload and such things go unnoticed, added that they will collaborate with ban who will constantly remind them on due dates and time for publication.
He also stated that since they are trying to review the PMF Act they have to look at the timeline as some might not be feasible due to the reconciliation problem between the Ministry of Finance, the Accountant General’s Office, and NRA as some of these reports have to with the reconciliation. He said they would have to see whether the timeline was realistic or whether they would have to change it.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (03/09/21)
