BudgIT Launches Fiscal Transparency League Table Website

BudgIT Foundation has unveiled the fiscal transparency league table website aimed at promoting fiscal transparency and public accountability at the sub-national level.

The fiscal transparency league table application was designed and developed by a software developer and DevOps engineer, at Fitila Africa, Oluseye Onigbinde.

Onigbinde emphasised the importance of all state governments to maintain functional and up-to-date websites to ensure the transparency of fiscal information.

According to the software developer, this accessibility allows citizens and organisations to monitor governance practices effectively and hold governments accountable.

He said: “Fiscal transparency at the subnational level is crucial for fostering accountability, trust and the efficient allocation of public resources. It ensures that state governments provide clear and accessible information on budget planning, revenue generation and expenditure, empowering citizens to hold their leaders accountable.

“This initiative by BudgIT Foundation, inspired by the World Bank’s recently concluded State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme, builds on the programme’s success in promoting fiscal transparency and public accountability. The foundation has launched the States Fiscal Transparency League (https://fiscalleague.budgit.org) to continue tracking how well state governments maintain fiscal transparency, accountability and effective public finance management, even after external funding has ceased.

“BudgIT’s States Fiscal Transparency League conducts quarterly assessments, evaluating state governments based on their adherence to key fiscal practices. These include the publication of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), proposed and approved budgets, Citizens’ Budgets, Budget Implementation Reports (BIR), audit reports, financial statements, and the availability of eProcurement portals and fiscal repositories on state websites.”