BudgIT,
a civic organization that uses technology to promote fiscal transparency and
public sector accountability, has launched operations in Ghana.
Riding
on our eight-year experience in Nigeria – using creative technology to simplify
public information, stimulating a community of active citizens and enabling
their right to demand accountability, institutional reforms, efficient service
delivery and equitable society – this development comes as a replica to upscale
citizen engagement on issues of public finance and governance in Ghana.
A
pioneer in the field of social advocacy, BudgIT uses an array of tech tools to
simplify the budget and matters of public spending for citizens, with the
primary aim of raising the standard of transparency and accountability in
government. “This exactly is our ultimate goal in Ghana, focusing on four core
programme areas: budget access, project tracking, extractive transparency and
institutional support,” says Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT principal lead.
According
to Okeowo, Ghana, like most developing countries, still grapples with low level
of transparency in the management of public resources and accountability on the
part of public officials among other corruption issues. “For democracies to
thrive, transparency and accountability is sacrosanct. This forms the reason
why mechanisms must be steadily in place to keep citizens informed and
engaged,” he added.
While
it is on record that the Ghanian government is making commendable efforts in
making its budget documents publicly available via online mediums, more actions
are still needed. Okeowo asserted, “A budget document is said to be credible
and effective when it is made available in a version that is easily digestible,
which encourages public engagement irrespective of citizens’ literacy level. We
want to help Ghana achieve this.”
BudgIT
believes that this initiative will significantly improve the level of
transparency and accountability in Ghana, and equally create an online platform
for both citizens and public officials to engage. Ultimately, this will foster
the principles of Open Government Partnership (OGP) which the country already
subscribed to, while keeping her as a model for other countries in Africa.
Signed
Shakir Akorede
Communications Associate, BudgIT
