By Mabinty M. Kamara
Emphasizing the importance of openness in budget processes to ensure transparency and accountability and service delivery at the Launch of a global open budget survey which indicated Sierra Leone’s improvement in the public participation of the national budgetary allocation, the Executive Director of Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) has noted that open Budget process saves lives.
The 2023 open budget index score indicates that the country’s transparency score rose 10 points above the global average of 45%. The country according to the report, rose from 45% in 2021 to 55% in 2023. “This progress also means that Sierra Leone climbed 17 points from 64th in 2021 to 47th in 2023 out of 125 countries. This ranks the country higher than Liberia (52%) Ghana (46%), Gambia (36%) Soa Tome Principe (32%), Nigeria (31%) and Equatorial Guinea (4%),” it reads.
This according to the report is due to the country’s publication of citizen’s budget, the enacted budget and In-Year Report in accordance with the 2016 public financial management Act and its 2028 regulations.
That notwithstanding, the report noted that the country remains 5% below the pass mark of 60% which according to BAN’s coordinator, is due to late publication of the Pre-budget Statement which he said should inform the budget discussions in parliament.
“To ensure adequate budget information disclosure, Sierra Leone’s Government must publish the Pre-budget Statement online at least one month before submitting the Executive budget proposal to parliament and the Mid-Year Review three months after the end of the six months,” he said.
The report went on to note that citizens’ participation in the budget process fell to 20% in 2023 from 31% in 2021. “According to the International Budget Partnership, 70% more citizens participated in the budget formulation in 2021 than in 2023 (33%) Although 17% of citizens participated in the budget execution stage, 33% selected issues for the Audit service Sierra Leone to audit. Sierra Leone’s audit score climbed to 78% in 2023 from 72% in 2021, while legislative oversight fell by 3 points from (33%) in 2021 to (30%) in 2023,” it noted.
Responding to the report, Dr Ilara Mahdi, Deputy Director of Budget Bureau, at the Ministry of Finance said that it is in the interest of them as government to ensure an open budget process, saying it enhances revenue mobilization as donor partners are interested in knowing how their monies are spent since they will also have to account to their taxpayers whose monies they are using to support development programmes in Sierra Leone. “It is important for the government to ensure an open budget process as it builds citizens' trust and confidence. Oversight promotes better use of government resources. That is why the government is committed to ensuring an open budget process,” she said.
She also urged for capacity building of Civil Society Organisations, saying that it is only when they are well-informed that they can effectively monitor and hold the government to account. She said that can only happen if they are well- informed and can analyze the issues in the budget.
The report was launched at the Atlantic hotel in Freetown by members of Civil Society Organisations, Development partners and government officials on the 29th of May this year.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (31/05/24)
