Afghanistan

by | Dec 31, 2008

Update:

After reviewing the results of the Open Budget Survey 2008, the Afghan government responded that the national budget is highly dependent on foreign aid, which can be unpredictable. Thus it is difficult to finalize consolidated budget documents, including the Executive’s Budget Proposal, far enough in advance to allow the legislature sufficient time to review it. However, the Ministry of Finance expressed a desire to improve Afghanistan’s OBI score by making more budget information publicly available.

Afghanistan 2008 Update

by | Jun 3, 2011

After reviewing the results of the Open Budget Survey 2008, the Afghan government responded that the national budget is highly dependent on foreign aid, which can be unpredictable. Thus it is difficult to finalize consolidated budget documents, including the Executive’s Budget Proposal, far enough in advance to allow the legislature sufficient time to review it. However, the Ministry of Finance expressed a desire to improve Afghanistan’s OBI score by making more budget information publicly available.

Budget Transparency in Afghanistan: A Pathway to Building Public Trust in the State

by | Feb 20, 2013

By Nematullah Bizhan (Australian National University).

This case study discusses major improvements in government budget transparency and public engagement in Afghanistan, presenting an analysis of the roles of the following actors in the trend toward more open budgeting: 1) the International Budget Partnership, foreign donors, civil society organizations, and the media; 2) the government; and 3) the legislature. This paper argues that by increasing its OBI score from 8 in 2008 to 21 in 2010, Afghanistan has made important progress, though it still remains below average. But donors, CSOs, and to some extent the media are putting increasing pressure on the government to improve its Public Financial Management system. A pragmatic and holistic approach that includes a legal and institutional framework will be required for budget transparency to become an instrument for confidence building in the Afghan state.