Can Access to Budget Information Empower Citizens and Enhance Urban Governance?

The outright failure by many South African local governments to raise taxes, allocate social grants, deliver health and education services, generate and distribute electricity, and undertake planning effectively, has sparked many community protests and court challenges. The consequences of deteriorating municipal governance are often felt most acutely by the most vulnerable residents, which in turn deepens inequality and further erodes trust between people and the state.

Fiscal transparency and public participation play a vital role in building more democratic spaces and fostering trust between people and their government. This post, however, suggests that this requires the fostering of genuine multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Transparency, accountability, and public participation (TAP) are vital tools that the blog lists, in efforts to combat misuse or wastage of limited public funds. TAP interventions are also valuable in fostering links between community needs and government’s responsiveness.

Abstract based on source.