PROVIDE EXTENSIVE INFO ON BUDGET, GOVT TOLD

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- It is imperative for any government to
provide the people with extensive information on the federal government's budget
and financial programmes in the course of the budget year, says Centre for
Public Policy Studies chairman Dr Ramon Navaratnam.

"This will make it easier for the people to hold the government accountable
for the management of public funds," he said at the launch of the Open Budget
Index 2008 here Friday.

The Open Budget is an index that rates countries on how open
their books are to their citizens.

Some 85 countries worldwide are ranked in this initiative and Malaysia is
included in the index for the first time. The centre conducted the research in
Malaysia.

"The Open Budget Index 2008 evaluates the quantity and type of information
that governments make available to their people in the seven key budget
documents that should be issued during the budget year.

"One of the most important documents is the executive's budget proposals
which should contain the executive's plans for the upcoming year along with
the cost of the proposed activities," he said.

Ramon said the proposal should be available to the people and to the
legislature prior to being finalised at least three months before the start of
the budget year to allow for sufficient review and public debate.

He said the proposals normally should provide some information to the
people, meaning citizens have a general picture of the government's plans for
taxing and spending for the upcoming year.

"It would be appropriate if the proposals could track spending, revenue
collection and borrowing during the year."

Besides, he said, complete in-year reports should be published and a
mid-year review should be released to the public.

"Publishing these documents could strengthen public accountability by
providing a more comprehensive update on how the budget is being implemented
during the year."

"It is also advisable if the people could easily access budget performance
once the budget year is over," he said.

Ramon said a year-end report should also be completely produced to allow
comparisons between what was budgeted and what was actually spent and collected.

"While audit report is made public, it should provide information on whether
the audit report's recommendations are successfully implemented.

"Access to the highly-detailed budget information needed to be understood
the government's progress in undertaking a specific project or activity should
also be unlimited," said the former Transport Ministry secretary-general.

Beyond producing and improving access to key budget documents, there are
other ways in which one country's budget process can be made more open.

A country can have a platform to give opportunities for citizen
participation in budget debates," said the former Transport Ministry
secretary-general.

"By doing so, budget systems become more responsive to the needs of society,
especially those within the poor-and low-income communities, and to foreign
investors," he said.

The Open Budget Index 2008 was calculated by the International Budget
Project based on detailed questionnaires competed by local experts in 85
participating countries from every continent.

The International Budget Project was established as part of the Centre on
Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based non-partisan non-profit
research organisation in 1997, to support civil society organisations around the
world interested in strengthening public budget processes, institutions and
outcomes.
-- BERNAMA