THE PHILIPPINES was among four countries considered to have been the most transparent in pandemic spending last year, according to a survey conducted by the non-profit International Budget Partnership (IBP).
The Philippines, Australia, Norway and Peru were rated “adequate” in terms of spending accountability in IBP›s rapid assessment survey of 120 countries in the March-September 2020 period, covering spending items related to the pandemic.
“Comprehensive reporting, transparent procurement processes and expedited audits of crisis-related spending were promoted by the IMF (International Monetary Fund), GIFT (Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency), IBP and others as essential to achieving adequate fiscal accountability during the crisis and beyond,” the IBP said.
Meanwhile, 29 countries were rated to have achieved «some» level of accountability, 55 others were graded as having “limited” accountability and 32 had “minimal” accountability.
“The main finding from our research is that governments are falling short of managing their fiscal policy response to the crisis in a transparent and accountable manner. More than two-thirds of the governments we looked at, across many regions and income levels, have only provided limited or minimal levels of accountability in the introduction and implementation of their early fiscal policy responses,” it added.
The study used 26 new indicators to assess the transparency, public participation and oversight of fiscal packages rolled out by governments during last year›s crisis.
For the Philippines, the IBP assessed the first relief package, known as Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.
It cited as a best practice the requirement that the government provide weekly reports of its actions to an oversight committee composed of legislators and other officials.
It also acknowledged the effort to continue with public consultations during the crisis.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) welcomed the survey›s findings in a statement Wednesday.
“This is an exemplification of the National Government’s continuous efforts towards upholding fiscal transparency and accountability, despite the unexpected, unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” it said.
“The DBM commits to remain a champion of open and participatory governance by delivering more concrete, felt and transformative results to the citizens especially during these challenging times,” it added. — Beatrice M. Laforga
