Daily Times

A discussion on the status of budget transparency and international best practices in Pakistan was organized by NDF Pakistan in collaboration with CPDI Islamabad.

On this occasion, Tariq Hussain Channar, Program Manager at NDF, said that CPDI Islamabad has released its fourth annual report on budget transparency in Pakistan and international best practices.

The report identified shortcomings in the budgeting process at the federal and provincial levels and called for a broader discussion of budget proposals with civic groups, government agencies, and key stakeholders.

The purpose of this report was not only to present findings but also to facilitate dialogue between governments, civil society, and citizens at large.

The report states that Pakistan should consider launching a centralized digital platform to promote citizens’ participation. The platform should be designed to present complex budget details in a manner that citizens can easily understand.

Governments were urged to prioritize initiating nationwide public consultations, including town hall meetings and workshops, during the critical phase of budget formulation.

The report also calls for preparing and releasing separate budget statements for women, minorities, children, and persons with disabilities, outlining specific allocations and strategies tailored to each group’s unique needs and challenges. The report calls for regularizing the citizen budgeting process in Pakistan through specific legislation or regulations.

In addition, citizen participation in the budget-making process should be legally protected, and government institutions should be obliged to consult citizens during various stages of the budgeting process, especially the role of parliamentarians during budget formulation and implementation.

Murtaza Channar, Regional Director DEPD, Sabir Hussain Qureshi, Additional Director of Social Welfare; Riaz Shar, Asad Memon, Akram Khaskheli, Mazhar Mallah, and others said that for the past decade, CPDI has been working to improve the budgeting process in Pakistan from the district to the federal level to promote transparency. The fourth report on “Status of Budget Transparency in Pakistan 2023” has been issued, a commendable process.