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Zambia fares badly on Open Budget Survey

Zambia fares badly on Open Budget Survey
By Mutale Kapekele
Mon 15 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT

ZAMBIA has fared badly in the Open Budget Survey coming out second from the bottom of 94 countries that were surveyed. The International Budget Partnership has just released the Open Budget Survey (OBS) 2010, the only independent, comparative, regular measure of budget transparency and accountability around the world.

Produced every two years by independent experts not beholden to national governments, the report reveals that 74 of the 94 countries assessed fail to meet basic standards of transparency and accountability with national budgets.

Presenting the findings of the OBS on Thursday, Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) executive director Alexander Chileshe said Zambia ranked among the bottom two that failed to uphold transparency and accountability for their national budgets.

The OBS 2010 observes that the lack of transparency and accountability in national budgets, opened the door to abuse as well as inappropriate and inefficient use of public money.

"The good news is that all governments, no matter their income levels or political systems or dependence on aid, can improve transparency and accountability quickly and with very little additional cost or effort by publishing online all of the budget information they already produce and by inviting public participation in the budget process," Chileshe said.

He observed that Zambia did not give room for citizens and even parliament to have a say on how the budget was being implemented.

"The only active involvement that parliament has on the budget is when it is presented and they have a debate for its approval, what happens after that is up to the government," Chileshe said. "In fact, in southern Africa, budget engagement by audit institutions and legislature is insufficient.

Although I must say we have been improving in making findings of our audits public. Other countries don't even do that and they scored zero in that area in the OBS."

He said the government should start publishing a citizen's budget that would simplify the national budget and make it accessible to the masses.

He said currently, the yellow book, which contains all the budget information was too technical to be understood by laymen and that it was difficult to acquire.

Chileshe also suggested that Parliament introduces a budget office that would monitor budget activities like South Africa was doing.

Labels: ALEXANDER CHILESHE, INTERNATIONAL BUDGET PARTNERSHIP, OPEN BUDGET SURVEY

posted by MrK @ 3:59 AM