Budget Comm. highlights importance of citizen’s budgeting
Ogun State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan has said the present administration will involve the citizenry in the preparation of governments’ yearly expenditure, putting into consideration the principles of Citizens Budgeting which entails Popular Participation, Transparency, Accountability, Accessibility, and Simplicity for effective service delivery.
The Commissioner said this in Abeokuta at a 4-day technical advisory training organised by the State government in collaboration with the World Bank and its affiliates in the area of Budgeting, noting that the training was conceived to improve the capacities of Budget Officers in the preparation of Budget templates, Citizen’s engagement, as well as government’s continued interaction with citizens on budget information.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Dada, the Commissioner pointed out that the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led-administration accords high premium to training and re-training of staffers for efficient and quality service delivery, maintaining that the technical advisory training would afford the participants the capacity to provide physical and virtual training on relevant details affecting Citizen’s Budgeting.
He called on the Budget Officers to adopt the principles of Citizens Budgeting, which allows for popular participation and people’s involvement in the preparation of government’s yearly spending.
“This event is aimed at building the capacities of our Budget Officers and adding value to the preparation of our yearly budget for quality service delivery. We are indeed privileged to have this meeting at this period. The advisory training will go a long way in our effort to deliver meaningful dividends of democracy to the good people of our dear State,” he noted.
Appreciating the facilitators, Mr. Olabimtan admonished the participants to take advantage of the meeting, while demonstrating the good qualities the State is known for among its peers.
In his presentation, the Programme Manager, Center for Social Justice, Abuja, Mr. Eze Onyekpere while speaking on the “Fundamentals and Nature of Citizens Budget” described Budgeting as an economic, political and Human Rights process, made by the elected representatives of the people with the support of civil servants in the State putting into consideration the principles of Accountability, Transparency, Simplicity, Accessibility and Popular Participation.
Also, in a paper titled ‘Ideal Contents of a Citizen Budget’ a Development Strategist, Mr. David Onyinyech said there was need to change the narrative on the ideal contents required in a Citizens Budget by ensuring that the relevant sections of the budget are embedded in a concise manner, which includes Macroeconomic and Physical Assumptions, Overall Government Budgeting Framework, as well as Disaggregation of Revenue, among others.
