Vietnamese budget transparency sees big improvement in 2023
VOV.VN - The International Budget Partnership (IBP) released its Open Budget Survey (OBS) 2023, noting Vietnam ranks 57th out of 125 countries in terms of budget transparency, up 11 notches from 2021 and 20 notches compared to 2019.
According to the Ministry of Finance on July 3, Vietnam made improvements in all three categories namely Transparency, Public Participation, and Budget Oversight, compared to 2021.
It scored 51 out of a maximum of 100 in Transparency, 82 in Budget Oversight last year, and 19 in Public Participation - higher than the global average of 15.
The OBS 2023 results serve to shine a light on Vietnamese efforts to improve budget transparency over recent years.
The IBP recommended that the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance move to establish public consultations in budget formulation. In order to further strengthen public participation in the budget process it should also prioritise actions such as piloting mechanisms to monitor budget implementation and engage with vulnerable and underrepresented communities directly or through civil society organisations representing them.
Furthermore, the National Assembly should also prioritise allowing members of the public or any civil society organisation to testify during its hearings on the budget proposal prior to its approval, thereby allowing members of the public or civil society organisations to testify during its hearings on the Audit Report.
The country’s State Audit Office also needs to establish formal mechanisms for the public in order to assist in developing its audit programme whilst simultaneously contributing to relevant audit investigations in order to improve public participation in the budgeting process.
The OBS is a global, independent, comparative, and fact-based research instrument that makes use of internationally accepted criteria to assess public access to central government budget information. This is along with providing formal opportunities for the public to participate in the national budget process and outlining the role of budget oversight institutions, such as legislatures and national audit offices, as part of the budget process.
First conducted in 2006, the survey helps local civil societies to assess and confer with their governments on the reporting and use of public funds. This represents the ninth edition of the OBS and covers over 120 countries.
Vietnam has participated in the biannual survey four times previously, in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021, with its ranking improving after each survey.
