By Patrick Soko
For Zambia to increase its level and effectiveness of public participation there is a need for stakeholders to initiate policy changes for improved participation.
On the 7th of June 2020, the Ministry of Finance released a treasury brief inviting the public to make submissions for the formulation of the 2021 budget and the 2021-2023 medium-term expenditure frameworks.
Joseph Chirwa Economist, PFM-G Consult notes that this call is not new since the government has established pre-budget deliberations during budget formulation as a key aspect of the budget process.
In seeking to contribute to effective public participation, PFMG Consult has undertaken a review of the current state of public participation in Zambia’s budget process.
“The resultant policy brief highlights the importance of addressing low fiscal transparency, disorganization and strained relations between Government and Civil Society Organizations, for the nation to increase its level of public participation,” says Mr Chirwa.
He says the Government should take steps to increase budget transparency by publishing electronic copies of key budget documents which are currently pending.
“It must be noted that only a well-informed public can effectively engage its government on spending and allocation decisions. Furthermore, government and CSOs should take steps to restore their fragile relationships as well as improve coordination and organization,” says he added.
Mr Chirwa has, therefore, urged the Ministry of Finance, to neutralize the current ‘politically charged’ governance environment; in which CSOs are expected to either praise or criticize the government, with no middle-ground, objectivity or neutrality.
On the other hand, public interest groups such as CSOs, private sector players, professional associations and academic institutions, should find ways to coordinate their submissions in order to present a united front on key policy issues.
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