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The Open Budget Survey 2008

Vivek Ramkumar
Manager, Open Budget Initiative
What is the Open Budget Survey 2008?

• A comprehensive survey and analysis that evaluates


whether national governments give the public
– access to budget information and opportunities to participate
in the budget process, and

– the strength of formal oversight institutions such as


legislatures and auditors.

• It is independent and non-partisan and is managed by


the IBP and implemented by researchers from the 85
countries surveyed.

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Key Finding #1: Public Shut out of Budget Process
in the Majority of Countries
• Only five countries provide extensive information on
budgets to the public.
• Forty-one of 85 countries provide only minimal, scant,
or no information.
• The budget approval stage is relatively more open
than the formulation, execution and audit stages.
• Low scoring countries often share similar
characteristics, including regional locations,
dependence on oil and gas exports and foreign aid,
and weakness of democratic institutions.

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Key Finding #2: Lack of Transparency is
Compounded by Weak Oversight Institutions

LEGISLATURE
• Limited legal powers
• Inadequate time to review budgets

SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTION


• Lack independence

• Limited funding/resources

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Key Finding #3: Budget Transparency Can Be
Improved Quickly and at Little Cost

• Fifty-one of 85 countries already produce at least one


and often several key budget documents that they do
not make available to the public.

• In 81 of the 85 countries surveyed, the Ministry of


Finance has a functional website.

• Eight countries have made significant progress on


budget transparency since 2006.

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Key Finding #4
Countries Showing Significant
Improvements in Budget Transparency from
OBI 2006 to OBI 2008
OBI OBI
Country Change Comments
2006 2008
Publication of Executive’s Budget
Egypt 18 43 +25
Proposal
Introduction of multi-year
budgeting;
Georgia 33 53 +20
Elimination of extra-budgetary
funds
Introduction of multi-year
Croatia 42 59 +17 estimates;
Publication of Citizens Budget
Preparation of 3-year budget
Sri Lanka 47 64 +17
projections
Improvement in external audit;
Kenya 48 57 +9 Increased citizen participation in
budget process
Reinstitution of Parliament after
Nepal 36 43 +7
2002 political crisis

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Recommendations for Governments
• Publish documents that are already produced for
internal use;

• Disseminate budget information in forms and


languages that are accessible to majority of
population;

• Institutionalize public engagement;

• Expand opportunities for media coverage; and,

• Build effective oversight systems by improving the


capacity and independence of Legislatures and SAIs.

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Recommendations for Donors
• Make transparent all forms of development assistance;
• Avoid off-budget funding, where possible;
• Support reforms for building effective public finance
information systems;
• Increase technical assistance and funding for Civil
Society, Legislatures, and SAIs; and,
• Conduct research on impact of donor aid on budget
transparency.

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Contact Information
820 First Street, NE Suite 510
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: +1-202-408-1080
Fax: +1-202-408-8173
Email: info@internationalbudget.org

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