by Rajan Zaveri | May 31, 2022
The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is an assessment of fiscal transparency, public participation and formal oversight in the budget process across a range of countries, conducted every two years.
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of South Asia, which is the only region in the world that has seen a steady and substantial downward trajectory in budget transparency since 2017. The region shows clear signs of stresses on democratic norms as checks and balances are undermined and civic space shrinks. Download the report.
by [email protected] | May 30, 2022
The Open Budget Survey is the world’s only comparative, independent, and regular assessment of transparency, oversight and participation in national budgets in 120 countries.
As is the case in every round, the 2021 survey represents the collective work of our global network of researchers in each country. This round, however, we did something different. We leaned into partnership and worked hand-in-hand with a select group of partners to co-author our global report and eight regional reports. This new approach has allowed us to benefit from the rich insights of our global partners and present key recommendations to spur action at the global, regional and country level.
The 2021 survey comes at a time when accountable and inclusive public budgets are more urgent than ever. The pandemic has led to the first rise in global extreme poverty in a generation, inequality is soaring and democracy is backsliding. The wealthy have become wealthier, while the excluded, especially women and marginalized communities are bearing the brunt of the fallout. Governments need to open up to public dialogue around how best to manage scarce public resources if we are to meet these challenges. Inclusion can yield democratic and development dividends in this time of great need and great disruption. If there is one common theme in this latest Open Budget Survey, it is that reform is possible anywhere.
Over the last 13 years, we have documented steady gains in global transparency. The average transparency score in the survey has increased more by than 20 percent since 2008. Download the report.
by [email protected] | May 30, 2022
The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is an assessment of fiscal transparency, public participation and formal oversight in the budget process across a range of countries, conducted every two years.
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of a number of countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, including: Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. These countries have made strides towards budget transparency, but it is still within limits. There is room for progress in expanding public participation in budget processes. Download the report.
by [email protected] | May 30, 2022
The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is an assessment of fiscal transparency, public participation and formal oversight in the budget process across a range of countries, conducted every two years.
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of a number of countries in Francophone Africa, where Benin is a leader in budget transparency although some of its neighbors are struggling to make progress. Several coups and other governance challenges have threatened progress in the region. Download the report in French and English.
by [email protected] | May 30, 2022
The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is an assessment of fiscal transparency, public participation and formal oversight in the budget process across a range of countries, conducted every two years.
This brief focuses on the OBS performance of a number of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. With a few exceptions, the region is close to consolidating budget systems that generate and publish sufficient information for citizens to understand how their governments spend. Download the report in Spanish and English.
