Governance and Accountability: World Vision promotes the Citizens-Budget in Mali

Citizens-Budget is an initiative that confirms and consecrates the establishment of transparency and good governance rules. Its objective is to facilitate citizens / taxpayers understanding of the budget process resources collection and their use for the production of public goods and utilities.

The collection and use of public funds, respect the principles of the state of law, which means: legality, transparency, democratic control and accountability. State institutions, which are guardians of the common good, have each of them a role and a responsibility in its preservation and usage for the good of all. The choice of expenditure and receipts by the public authorities is clear and is done after wide consultations.

 It is in that context that in April 2016, the Budget Monitoring Group established in March 2007 in partnership with World Vision and Save the Children organised an information and exchange space on the Citizens-Budget. This encounter reunited public and private media, civil society, political and administrative authorities and NGOs with the aim to better equip them for monitoring and advocacy actions.

Second gathering of the kind since 2010, the Budget Monitoring Group intends to increase its meetings in different regions of Mali to further strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations in understanding and analysis of state and local authorities’ budget.

World Vision Mali contributed to the success of this activity through intensified media coverage for a broad dissemination of the information around this governance and accountability tool and the organization produced 700 booklets of the Citizens-Budget to be distributed at local, regional and national level. This budget simplified tool will surely facilitate quick understanding and it will guide civil societies, local authorities and other stakeholders’ actions.

 Through the collaboration with the Budget Monitoring Group, World Vision Mali aims to create a synergy of action with the established Citizen Voice and Action group (CVA) in order to empower communities and local authorities in their understanding of the Citizens-Budget.

Today, it is fundamental that citizens participate in the development, monitoring, and analysis process of the budget in their municipalities in order to increase accountability which is key to build sustainable communities.

This exchange forum and the continued informationsharing will help Malians to own the Citizens-Budget preparation process in order to influence it with relevant information when necessary. This will contribute to a better management of public funds and it will reduce the inequality and poverty in Mali.

Download Mali Citizens-Budget booklet here:

http://www.wvi.org/publication/mali-citizen-budget-booklet