At a three-day orientation workshop titled ‘Advancing Public Participation in the Budget Process- Pro poor Budget Analysis, Information and Advocacy’, they suggested that CSOs and media persons should keep their increasing vigilance in different development activities that are being implemented through public fund. [break]
They also said increasing participation of local stakeholders in budget preparation and implementation could support effectiveness of budget programs at grass-roots level. "Cases of misuse of public fund can be minimized if CSOs and media become more vigilant and more aware about local level budget and its implementation," Jeff Thindwa, Practice Manager of World Bank Institute, said.
Prithvi Raj Ligal, former vice-chairman of National Planning Commission, also underlined the need to enhance the capacity of local stakeholders, CSOs and media persons to properly analyze the budgetary data.
“Capacity of local stakeholders, CSOs and media persons to analysis budget provisions and allocations will help reduce the chances of misappropriation of budget. They have also a role to lobby for increasing participation of local beneficiaries in budget formulation and implementation," Ligal said.
Ligal said imposing programs from the central level without assessing the need of the local people was a major reason for being locally implemented programs less effective.
TahseenSayed Khan, the country manager of World Bank Office of Nepal, highlighted the responsibility of CSOs and media to ensure proper utilization of public budget for the benefit of local people.
Tara Nath Dahal of Freedom Forum said local people need to increase their scrutiny on spending of local budgetary funds using the Right to Information Act, which have provided rights to the public to get any information of public importance.
"Lack of transparency in government and non-government organizations are major problems in getting public information which has led to the chances of irregularities in implementation of programs," added Dahal.
Mahender Jethmalani, an expert from Pathey Budget Center, India shared his view on how women and tribal groups could be empowered through sensitization about their rights and by ensuring resources for them from successive governments.
Dina Abdel-Fattah , Aid Management Fellow of Development Gateway, stressed on the need of making local people more aware about the financial assistance coming into the country from the donor community.
Shree Krishna Shrestha, a public finance expert, said growing mismatch between national policy and local priorities hampered the effectiveness of public budget. Shrestha also shared inputs on how to demystify district level budget for proper scanning of the allocations and actual spending of funds.
AnitMukharjee, a public finance management expert, Carolina Vaira of World Bank Institute, Sruti Rajopadhyaya of World Bank Institute also underlined the necessity for increasing involvement of real stakeholders in budget preparation and implementation process.
The workshop which concluded on Thursday had brought together around 100 CSOs, media persons and experts.
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