Zimbabwe has improved its rankings in national budget transparency following an increase by 11 points to settle at number 41 out of 120 countries surveyed from 52 last year, making it the third in Africa after South Africa and Benin.
The international budget rankings are conducted regularly by the Global Open Budget Survey which is the world’s only independent, comparative and fact-based research instrument that uses internationally accepted criteria to assess public access to central government budget information; formal opportunities for the public to participate in the national budget process, and the role of budget oversight institutions such as the legislature and auditor in the budget process.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, said the Global Open Budget Survey report on Zimbabwe was submitted to Cabinet by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube.
“Cabinet wishes to highlight that within Africa, Zimbabwe is now ranked third after South Africa and Benin, which occupy the 1st and 2nd positions, respectively, in the southern African region, Zimbabwe is now number two, behind South Africa.” Mutsvangwa said.
“The significant improvement in the Global Open Budget Survey is a testimony of the success achieved in the country’s economic reforms under the Second Republic,” she added.
Minister also said that the survey measures, in particular, the overall quality of the National Budget process and the transparency and quality of consultations.
“In terms of the quality of the Budget, Zimbabwe ranks 14 points above the world average and well above all African countries,” she said.
