Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
| www.worldbank.org/socialdevelopment
Budget Transparency
Using Budgets to Empower Citizens
Budget transparency refers to the extent and ease with which citizens can access information about and provide feedback on government revenues, allocations, and expenditures. Budget transparency leads to: Less corruption Efficient use of resources More trust in government Higher revenues
Adamawa
55 Primary Schools 26 Secondary Schools 26 Health Centers 13 Municipalities
Budget documents at best available upon request and at own cost (as per law) Participation low mobilization requires concerted efforts
Preliminary Recommendations
Process guidelines to strengthen budget transparency, which include:
Communiqus announcing council sessions through radio and other means Stipulations to share budget documents a minimum of two weeks in advance with councilors; and that councilors communicate their content to their constituents through public meetings and/or radio
Actively monitor timely dissemination of council session meeting minutes Benchmark local councils budget transparency with index (cf. Open Budget Index or Local Budget Transparency Index) Institute Local Council Citizens Budgets
Promoting Accountability
Results (NWR)
GTHS Bamenda reallocates over 1 million XAF to computer lab maintenance Over 5 million recovered from illegal fees collection from GBHS Bafut A corrupt hospital director at Tubah District Hospital removed after community reacts against him for not disclosing budget Community members support Atuakom health centre with night watchman and hospital janitor after realising that hospital allocations are low Increased bonuses for staff at Bambili hospital
Results (Adamawa)
Increased tax revenues (cattle tax in Ngaoundre III, Adamawa, increased from 0 to 763 000 XAF from 2011 - 2012) More trust and better relations between mayors and community (Mbe, Adamawa, and Ngaoundre I, Adamawa)
Thank You!
Governor Abakar Ahamat (abakarahamat@yahoo.fr) Martin Luis Alton (malton@worldbank.org ) Sanjay Agarwal (sagarwal2@worldbank.org)