India’s budget transparency scores have increased from 46 in 2015 to 48 in 2017.
New Delhi: Since the time it gained power in 2014, the BJP has always wooed for a transparent government system for its citizens to trust and actively engage in public discourse. Prime Minister Modi himself has been highlighting the need for more transparency and accountability across all public institutions, reiterating his idea of a pro-public government. With the commencement of the Modi government’s final Budget session before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it is significant to evaluate India’s budget transparency.
The Open Budget Survey (OBS) of 2017 released by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) on 31 January, 2018 in Washington, DC found that 89 out of 115 countries which were surveyed fail to make sufficient budget information publicly available. In its sixth round of biennial assessment since 2006, the OBS 2017 shows a decline in average global budget transparency scores from 45 in 2015 to 43 in 2017. However, India’s scores have moderately increased from 46 in 2015 to 48 in 2017, slightly higher than the global average of 42 out of a score of 100.
“Interestingly, among the south Asian countries, India falls behind
Nepal (52) and Afghanistan (49) in budget transparency”
In the survey’s comparative assessment of the three pillars of public budget accountability: transparency, oversight and public participation, India scored the least in public participation in budgetary process with a score of 15 out of 100, higher than the global average of 12, indicating very few opportunities for public to engage in budget related affairs. Warren Krafchik, Executive Director of International Budget Partnership (IBP) indicates this failure of most governments to involve the public in decision making or to explain their plans and budgets weakens trust and undermines democracy.
In terms of formal oversight institutions, such as supreme audit institutions (SAIs) and legislatures, the survey found that only 32 countries’ legislatures have adequate oversight practices, while the legislature and supreme audit institution in India provide limited oversight of the budget with a score of 48 out of 100. Well-funded and independent oversight institutions are critical to better budget planning and implementation for an inclusive democracy.
“Slow growth towards attaining better budget transparency calls for more public
and civil society attention and their engagement with the government
to reinstate public trust in budgetary process and its outcome”
– Dr. Dharam Vira Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party, Lok Sabha MP
As many governments around the world are making less information available related to raising and spending public money, it directly points at the declining public trust in government and increasing inequality. A detailed OBS report on the India specific Budget Transparency can be found here.
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