The availability and allocation of budgetary resources says a lot about whether, how, and to what extent a government is committed and determined to implement its pro-poor policies.
National budgets are a ‘black and white’ proof of whether governments are putting their money where their mouth is. Through it, policies which promote equality between different income quintiles (as well as between men and women) can be identified. Therefore, for civil society to track the national budget, is an essential tool in combating poverty and inequality.
There is a caveat though: Even if allocations are made in the national budget, keep in mind that, in many cases, accounts are not fully closed and audited after the respective fiscal year. Therefore ‘budget accountability’ has to be checked throughout the year, because accounts close the last day of each fiscal year – and nothing can be done thereafter.
Pro-poor policies – the way we want them to be singled out and funded – may not even be reflected in budgets any time soon (and by extension, governments are not likely to make much progress in reducing poverty…), I am afraid. That is a whole additional challenge: to exert the needed pressures for poverty reduction measures to make it into the national budget.
That is why assuring a broad participation of the country’s genuine representatives of the interests of the poor and marginalized is so vital. They must: -be present in the diagnosis and analysis of the country’s poverty situation, -check that assistance and services are delivered where most needed, -annually review the national budget for any omissions, misallocation (or misappropriation) of resources, and -monitor budgeted programs’ outcomes, -make ‘noise’ about all of the above.
National budgets (including foreign aid allocations) are indeed a powerful, underutilized, instrument to keep authorities accountable!
PS: If you are a sectoral person (and feel more comfortable ‘in your territory’), the same applies for the health budget, the education budget, the agricultural budget…..
Claudio Schuftan, Ho Chi Minh City
schuftan@gmail.com