Mauritius Finance

People Participation in the Budgeting Process

Budget transparency, public participation in the budget process, and strong formal oversight institutions need to work together to create a robust budget accountability ecosystem.

Public participation in budgeting is a relatively new concept in public financial management. Citizens engagement in shaping the national budget offers opportunities for people across a diverse range of groups to engage in discussions about what matters to them, their families and their communities. It is a vital part of a wider strategic approach to advancing people participation and empowerment. The dialogue between citizens and government must be continuous, open, inclusive, relevant, clear, secure and reliable.

Citizen engagement in the budget process is important for a number of reasons:

Budget decisions have a significant impact on the lives of the public, and therefore should be informed by the views and values of citizens.
Engaging citizens in the budget process increases the information available to decision makers concerning the likely effects of their decisions, and can help to guard against unintended consequences
The scrutiny of citizens can help to ensure that decision makers are diligent in the decisions they make, improving the efficiency, responsiveness and accountability of government.
Through engaging citizens in the budget process, they can address the same trade- offs that decision makers are forced to make, and generate a more fruitful discussion between citizens and government.
Engaging citizens in fundamental decisions, such as budget decisions, can help to overcome public distrust and cynicism, and increase the legitimacy of government.
Citizen engagement can help to ensure that government is responsive to the needs, views and values of citizens.
The process cannot be a one-way traffic, since tax payers have a right and duty to indicate how they would like their monetary contributions, in terms of budget allocations, apportioned to public welfare, amenities, infrastructure and sustainable development.

A number of countries have also moved towards “people budgeting” — citizen participation in the budgeting process. Interesting examples include, amongst many others:

Canada – http://www.fin.gc.ca/n16/16-002-eng.asp
United Kingdom – https://www.gov.uk/government/get-involved#engage-with- government
France – http://www.performance-publique.budget.gouv.fr
A most innovative initiative in France was the launching of the Cyber Budget online game (www.cyber-budget.fr). Cyber-Budget begins by introducing players to budget terminology. It presents them with a number of tasks that test knowledge of the budget and familiarise them with the political consequences of decisions. The player makes decisions, presents and defends the budget in parliament, and is then responsible for managing it as unanticipated events take place and affect fiscal outcomes. The player receives simulated criticism from the press, an accounting of the impact of his or her decisions on the deficit and debt, and a final score. As of April 2007, an estimated 400 000 people played.

Moving towards Digital Democracy – Setting up a People Budget Transparency Portal

The issues facing the Mauritian economy are more complex than before and they require high levels of cooperation with stakeholders, real-time interaction with communities and the public at large.

Difficult issues such as the opening up of the Mauritian economy, the combat against corruption, protection of locally manufactured products , the relaxation of immigration and labour laws or the development of new economic sectors are better understood by organizing, measuring and weighing the effects of alternative policies and listening to all stakeholders.