Public participation in state budget management promoted

The event was jointly held by Oxfam and the Budget Transparency, Accountability and Participation (BTAP) Alliance. 

The project is being carried out in Hai Lang and Gio Linh districts of the central province of Quang Tri and Luong Son and Mai Chau districts of the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh. 

It aims to promote new initiatives in supervising state budget and public investment, increase connectivity among groups and members of the BTAP Alliance, and encourage citizens’ participation in state budget supervision. 

The participants looked into methods to implement activities of the project and how to encourage people to join the project.

Nguyen Dang Anh, deputy head of the committee for economic and budget affairs under the Quang Tri province People’s Council, said to promote public involvement in state budget supervision, the locality has issued two resolutions on public investment and piloted the 2014 Public Investment Law at provincial, district and communal levels. 

Local authorities have also played an active role in the work through meetings with voters to discuss annual budget estimate and spending, he said. 

To ensure the sustainability of the project, Anh suggested specialised agencies of the People’s Council to conduct policy consultations involving people, and community groups maintain their operation even when the project concludes. 

The participations also underlined the importance of communications work, stressing the need to create a legal corridor for residents and social organisations to take part in local budget management, improve the role of such organisations like fatherland front and associations of women and farmers. 

The project will be rolled out in other localities in Quang Tri and Hoa Binh after the three-year pilot implementation.