Increasing Accountability through Budget Transparency at the Subnational Level in Cameroon
Improving governance is a major development challenge for Cameroon and for many other developing countries, and making public financial management more transparent is a central part of it. While budgets are public documents, accessible to citizens...
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/06/19909011/cameroon-budget-transparency-initiative-increasing-accountability-through-budget-transparency-subnational-level-cameroon http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20132 |
| Summary: | Improving governance is a major
development challenge for Cameroon and for many other
developing countries, and making public financial management
more transparent is a central part of it. While budgets are
public documents, accessible to citizens in principle, in
practice, budget information is difficult to come by as a
result of political, administrative, capacity, and
logistical constraints as well as cost barriers at all tiers
of government, including the national, regional, and
municipal level and at service-delivery points like schools
and health centers. In two of Cameroon s 10 regions, a World
Bank-supported initiative has piloted a citizen-centered
approach for disseminating simplified budget information of
151 schools, 58 health centers, and 28 municipalities and
the two regional administrations. Budgets were made public
and awareness was raised through various activities,
including public community meetings at which the budgets of
institutions were read aloud, poster campaigns, art
competitions, theater performances, student budget clubs,
and the use of media such as community radios and Facebook.
Results of the initiative include increased tax revenues for
one local council, changes in the willingness of parents to
contribute to the financing of schools, and greater trust
between mayors and constituents. |
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