The CITIZENS BUDGET

1. The CITIZENS BUDGET Budget Office MINISTRY OF FINANCE

2. What is a Citizens Budget? A Citizens Budget is a non-technical presentation of the Government budget which is intended to enable the public, including those who are not familiar with public finance, understand Government plans. • It is a report to the people, presented in an accessible format using simple and clear language they can understand:

3. Ahaa!… I see… Source: The Power of Making It Simple 2010, IBP

4. Countries that have published a Citizens Budget Source: International Budget Partnership 2010

5. Characteristics of Citizens Budget • Document that summarizes and explains basic budget information for a given period (usually a fiscal year). • Explains how Government collects, distributes and uses public resources. • Highlights budget priorities.

6. Characteristics of Citizens Budget (2) • Presents a broad introduction to key components of the budget. • Provides illustrations on how the budget will impact ordinary citizens. • Promotes transparency and access to budget information. Key Insight: Clear language and accessible formats in a document that is produced deliberately for ordinary citizens.

7. Inadequacy of Ordinary Public Budgets • Information in Ordinary Budgets is often complex and fragmented. • Budget documents are produced to fulfill the information needs of the Government (highly technical & specialized language). • Budget information is usually inaccessible & people do not know how to start enquiring about the budget.

8. Inadequacy of Ordinary Public Budgets (2) • Budget information rarely responds to people’s information needs. • Therefore, understanding why Government is collecting taxes from the people, and where people’s money is going, is DIFFICULT. Meanwhile: All Public Budgets are developed in order to address the needs of the people.

9. Benefits of Citizens Budget To the People: • Increased knowledge of what Government is doing (or not doing) for the people. • Enhanced capacity to effectively participate in Government affairs. • Provides means of holding Governments accountable for planned deliverables. • Provides linkage, if any, between tax collections & public services. • Builds interest and capacity to monitor progress of government projects.

10. Benefits of Citizens Budget (2) To Government: • Means of demonstrating that Govt holds itself accountable to the public. • Serves as a tool for: • providing civic education. • explaining how budget is formulated, enacted & executed, and who is responsible at each stage. • clarifying which level of Govt (national or local) is responsible for performing different governmental functions. This greater clarity can ease Govt’s work by minimizing misdirected inquiries from public. • Builds capacity in public to monitor government projects. • Enhances Government’s legitimacy and sincerity in the eyes of the public

11. Principles of a Citizens Budget • Information should be useful for public knowledge and participation (not merely political propaganda). • Developed after identifying public's info needs (identify what people can do with info & the opportunities for participation) • Should create public dialogue (interactions-feedback).

12. Content of a Citizens Budget • Formats, material, design & detail of information presented in a Citizens Budget varies according to specific needs of the public in each country. • However, basic requirements include: • Govt’s main objectives, budget measures & new policy initiatives (using non-technical jargon) • Revenue Mobilisation (Amounts & means of mobilising) • Spending priorities (Information on sector-specific & targeted strategic programmes) • Cartoons & illustrations to emphasize policy priorities. • Budget terminology (glossary)

13. FEATURES OF THE 2013 CITIZENS BUDGET • Simple & Non Technical • English Version • Cartoons & text boxes to illustrate policy priorities • Key Information in 2013 Budget • Easily Accessible

14. CONTENT OF THE 2013 CITIZENS BUDGET • Economic Policy Objectives • How Government will raise money • Tax Policy Measures • Where Government will spend money • Allocation of the Eurobond Proceeds • Glossary for certain words *******************************************

15. Examples of Cartoons Used to Illustrate Govt Policy

16. The Citizens Budget Unpacked! How Government is facilitating small business development! How Government intends to support value addition and employment creation; What is being done to encourage saving and Investment; How Government is improving health care. • What Government has done to reduce the cost of doing business; • How Government is putting more money in your pocket!

17. The Citizens Budget Unpacked! Efforts to enhance good governance, youth empowerment and social Security! Expenditure allocations to the various sectors • How Government has allocated resources to attain economic diversification • Governments efforts to support infrastructure development!

18. Targeted Sectors for Investment…..In 2013 Education Transport Energy Agriculture Health Tourism

19. Way Forward • Since this is first CB in Zambia, it was not possible to get input from all key stakeholders. • However, in order to provide useful input into future CBs, Government expects reactions from stakeholders on the following: • Format & content of future CB. • Specific versions of CB: Sector specific, sub-national specific, tax measures, region specific, etc • Whether CB should be published in main local languages and/or brail. • Time for publishing CB. • Effective methods of distribution: media, websites, traditional leaders, civic leaders, etc

20. THANK YOU Enjoy Reading the Citizens Budget  We look forward to your feed back