Policy Brief – State of Budget Transparency and Accountability in Zimbabwe

The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is an initiative undertaken by the International Budget Partnership (IBP). The survey is aimed at promoting public access to budget information and the adoption of accountable and transparent budget systems. The OBS is an objective, comprehensive, independent, comparative and global survey that evaluates whether governments give the public adequate access to budget information and opportunities to participate in the budget process at national level. The OBS is a biannual measure of budget transparency and accountability around the world and is produced by independent budget experts. OBS evaluates public access to eight key national budget information, opportunities for public participation in budget processes and the role of formal oversight institutions. The OBS gives an assessment of the core institutions and practices that make representative democracy function. This includes assessing oversight institutions of representative democracy by assessing novel approaches to formal public participation in budgeting processes. Open and accountable public budgeting is at the centre of democratic practice and equity, it is therefore the basis for formulating strategies to strengthen the interaction between governments and citizens. Ensuring that the budgeting process is characterized by high levels of transparency, appropriate checks and balances, and opportunities for public participation is key to stemming confidence deficit in government and representative democracy. To read more, please download the attachment below