Monrovia, Liberia- The Ministry of Finance & Development Planning (MFDP), has announced the launch of its FY2024 Open Budget Initiative and FY2025 Pre-Budget Consultations across the country.
The initiatives which is led by the Department of Budget and Development Planning, is aimed at enhancing fiscal transparency and boost public participation in the budget process.
According to MFDP, this year’s outreach will focus on sharing the Mid-Year Budget Performance Report, highlighting county expenditures.
The program will create a platform for citizens, particularly vulnerable and marginalized groups—such as women’s organizations, disadvantaged youth, persons with disabilities, and representatives from civil society, the private sector, and academia—to voice their priorities for the FY2025 budget.
The Finance ministry disclosed in a release dated September 24, that these efforts are designed to incorporate public input into fiscal planning, marking a significant step towards improved transparency and compliance with international standards, including the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT).
The release highlighted that by prioritizing access to essential budget information, the initiative aims to foster greater accountability and encourage informed public engagement in fiscal matters.
“Recent progress has seen Liberia’s fiscal transparency scores rise from 45% to 52%, with public participation in budget processes increasing from 6% to 15%.
To sustain this momentum, the government is dedicated to producing key budget documents annually and facilitating discussions that allow community members to inquire about fiscal reports.
Proposed actions could elevate Liberia’s fiscal transparency score to 61% and public participation score to 20% by the next Open Budget Survey,” the release emphasized.
