Budget Transparency and Accountability

 by Shigemi Muramatsu

“Where does our money go??!”This question is often asked by citizens who work hard to pay their taxes while struggling to meet their financial responsibilities such as expenses for food, water, shelter, school and so on. Individuals pay taxes, whether directly and indirectly, to the government. It is a mandatory expense needed to finance the government’s projects. Therefore, citizens who pay taxes expect that in return, these projects should be generally favorable to them.  They also want to be informed on how their money is being spent in a manner that they can easily understand. 
   
The People’s Budget and the Budget ng Bayan website is, therefore, a good start in aiming for transparency and accountability.  With the use of the most available and suitable media nowadays, citizens can get up-to-date information straight from the source.

Based on what I have heard during the launch, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) tries to gather immediate feedback on the media materials, and considers them right away in producing the next issue.  This year’s People’s Budget will be produced in three languages—English, Tagalog, Bisaya—to reach out to more people. On the other hand, the website is a channel for receiving feedback, updates, and requests for the People’s Budget’s copy. It also explains the budget in simpler terms compared to other sites that use very technical language.  In aiming for transparency and citizen engagement, creating a venue for two-way communication and minimizing barriers should be the top consideration.