Mainstreaming Public Participation in Fiscal Policy and Budget Processes in PEMPAL Countries: Progress to Date & Next Steps PEMPAL Budget Community of.

Mainstreaming Public Participation in Fiscal Policy and Budget Processes in PEMPAL Countries: Progress to Date & Next Steps PEMPAL Budget Community of Practice (BCOP) Budget Literacy and Transparency Working Group March 16, 2018

Outline 1. Definitions & Overview of International Frameworks on Public Participation in the Budget Cycle PEMPAL Survey: The Supply Side of Public Participation PEMPAL Survey: The Demand Side of Public Participation 4. Recommendations

Definitions Citizen Engagement
“Two-way interaction between citizens and governments within the scope of WBG interventions—policy dialogue, programs, projects, and advisory services and analytics—that gives citizens a stake in decision-making with the objective of improving the intermediate and final development outcomes of the intervention”. Source: World Bank 2013 Budget Literacy “The ability to read, decipher, and understand public budgets to enable and enhance meaningful citizen participation in the budget process”. Source: World Bank 2017

Public Participation & Closing the Feedback Loop: The Linchpin of International Frameworks
Budget Transparency Feedback Loop Dimensions of Public Participation Public participation reforms will take much longer than making key budget documentation available and accessible, as it requires working on two levels: government and public/civil society. Establishing mechanisms for citizens to participate (supply initiatives) Implementing reforms to increase the demand for budget information (demand initiatives).

I. Overview of International Frameworks on Public Participation in the Budget Cycle

GIFT’s Scope of Public Participation
All fiscal policy and budget making activities including: The annual budget cycle (8 documents) Fiscal policy reviews that may extend over a longer period than the window for preparation of the annual budget cycle (on revenues, expenditures, tax, finances, assets, liability management) Design, production and delivery of public goods and services (including feedback and independent mechanisms) Design and delivery of public investment projects (planning, appraisal, selection, implementation & audit)

Budget Transparency Toolkit
The design of a participation process should: Publish clear objectives, scope and process of public engagement in budgeting Tailor engagement methods that are best suited to various participants Use a mix of mechanisms, proportionate to the nature of the issue concerned Allow enough time for the results from participation to impact budget policy Follow up and give citizens timely feedback about progress and results Ensure that vulnerable population groups are included Public participation should: Be part of a broader government communication strategy Add to, complement or strengthen existing governance arrangements Include establishing timely consultative processes during the budget cycle Be supported by information on the effects of the budget on income and wellbeing of different income groups and households

Open Budget Survey: Executive Branch Engagement with the Public
Topics for Engagement During Budget Formulation/Execution Macroeconomic issues/Changes in macroeconomic circumstances Revenue Forecasts, policies and administration/Collection of Revenue Social spending policies/Implementation of social spending Deficit and debt levels/Changes in deficit and debt levels Public investment projects/Implementation of public investment projects Public services/Delivery of Public services Participatory Practices Establish interactive participation mechanisms & involve a two-way conversation Take concrete steps to include vulnerable and under-represented groups Incorporate participation into its budget calendar/timetable Provide comprehensive information on the budget engagement process Provide the public feedback on how citizens’ inputs have been used At least one line ministry should use participation mechanisms that encourage interactive exchange with the public lower marks are awarded if these mechanisms only provide a one-way flow of information, or they only capture ad-hoc views, or are only open to specific individuals or groups. Provide comprehensive information on the process of engagement in a timely manner prior to that engagement in both budget formulation and budget execution stages, so that the public can participate in an informed manner i.e. on at least three of the following elements: purpose, scope, constraints, intended outcomes, process and timeline. Comprehensive information should be provided on the process of engagement in a timely manner prior to that engagement in both budget formulation and budget execution stages, so that the public can participate in an informed manner i.e. on at least three of the following elements: purpose, scope, constraints, intended outcomes, process and timeline. Non-comprehensive information is defined as information being provided on at least one but less than three of these elements.

Open Budget Survey: Engagement of Oversight Institutions with the Public
Legislature Supreme Audit Institution Hold public hearings and/or use other participation mechanisms which are opened to everyone, through which the public and CSOs can provide input or testify (i.e. during pre-budget and/or approval stages; Audit Reports). Review and scrutinize Audit Reports produced by the SAI, and check on whether the Executive is taking the appropriate corrective actions based on the SAI’s recommendations. Maintain formal mechanisms through which the public can suggest issues/topics to include in the SAI’s audit program. lower marks are awarded if these mechanisms only provide a one-way flow of information, or they only capture ad-hoc views, or are only open to specific individuals or groups. Provide comprehensive information on the process of engagement in a timely manner prior to that engagement in both budget formulation and budget execution stages, so that the public can participate in an informed manner i.e. on at least three of the following elements: purpose, scope, constraints, intended outcomes, process and timeline. Comprehensive information should be provided on the process of engagement in a timely manner prior to that engagement in both budget formulation and budget execution stages, so that the public can participate in an informed manner i.e. on at least three of the following elements: purpose, scope, constraints, intended outcomes, process and timeline. Non-comprehensive information is defined as information being provided on at least one but less than three of these elements.

II. 2017 PEMPAL Survey: The Supply Side of Public Participation

Questions Participating Countries
What are the current (or planned) legislative and policy/procedural frameworks? What are the public participation mechanisms used across a) government b) line ministries c) Parliament d) SAI and at what stage of the budget process are they implemented? Is the Citizen’s Budget used to engage citizens? What information is shared with the public prior to any consultation taking place? Who collects the information; how is it collected; and on what issues is it collected? Is a response provided to inputs from citizens? Belarus Croatia Kyrgyz Republic Russian Federation Serbia Uzbekistan

Current or Planned Legislative, Policy & Procedural Frameworks
All surveyed countries have frameworks which endorse the principles of transparency & public engagement Countries with more generic legislative, policy or institutional frameworks that endorse public participation are less specific about the mechanisms that are being used to engage the public in the budget process (Belarus, Serbia, Uzbekistan) Only 2 countries specified that they have procedural measures in place to ensure accountability for closing the feedback loop on public consultations (Croatia, Kyrgyz Republic) Public participation reforms will take much longer than making key budget documentation available and accessible, as it requires working on two levels: government and public/civil society. Establishing mechanisms for citizens to participate (supply initiatives) Implementing reforms to increase the demand for budget information (demand initiatives).

Current or Planned Legislative, Policy or Procedural Frameworks
Budget Specific Laws & Decrees Budget Code. Chapter on Budget and Budget Process Transparency and Openness (Kyrgyz Republic) Resolution On Compiling the Citizens’ Budget of the Kyrgyz Republic Decree of the Council of Ministers to establish a working group on simplification of the tax system (Belarus) Constitutions Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Articles 29 and 30) Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 101) National Laws & Decrees Law of the Republic of Belarus On Petitions of Citizens and Legal Entities Act on the Right of Access to Information (Croatia) Code of Consultation with the Interested Public Concerning the Adoption of Acts, Regulations and Legislation (Croatia) The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting law

Current or Planned Legislative, Policy or Procedural Frameworks
National Regulations Regulation on the Implementation of Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Croatia) Rules of Procedure of the Government of the Republic of Croatia Laws Pertaining to Local Government Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan On Local Public Administrations Federal Law On General Principles of Organization of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation Resolution 781/39 of the Government of the Moscow Region dated October 25, Power that Delivers for the Period of (subprogram IV: Management of Public Finance of Moscow Region) Law 654-PK of Perm Krai (Territory) of June 2, On Implementation of Participatory Budgeting Projects in Perm Territory The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Public Participation Mechanisms
In addition to the preparation and execution of the national budget, CSOs, technical experts & citizens have engaged with the executive branch & Parliament on overall economic & fiscal policy measures, taxation & the implementation & performance of national programs A broad range of mechanisms are being used to engage citizens in the budget process, such as technical working groups on fiscal issues; NGO inputs on draft budget documents; reviews and comments by think tanks/academics; participatory budgeting & online simulations & games. Online/written petitions and budget hearings/consultations are being used by the majority of countries 5 countries use public participation mechanisms during the budget preparation stage & 2 countries use them during the budget execution stage (Kyrgyz Republic & Russian Federation). 1 country has established an avenue for public engagement during the audit stage (Russian Federation) Public participation reforms will take much longer than making key budget documentation available and accessible, as it requires working on two levels: government and public/civil society. Establishing mechanisms for citizens to participate (supply initiatives) Implementing reforms to increase the demand for budget information (demand initiatives).

Preparation Execution Audit Inform The Government publishes the proposed state budget with all prescribed annexes (Croatia) The Parliament makes the draft budget available prior to conducting public hearings (Kyrgyz Republic) Line ministries are obliged to publish their strategic plans on their websites (Croatia) The Fiscal Advisory Council’s assessment of the budget proposal is published on the website of the Fiscal Advisory and submitted to the National Assembly (Serbia) Information on budget execution is posted on the web site of the Ministry of Finance (Uzbekistan) An aggregate report on the implementation of state programs is available on the Ministry of Economy website (Belarus) The National Audit Office publishes the audit of the annual report of the execution of the state budget (Croatia) Public participation reforms will take much longer than making key budget documentation available and accessible, as it requires working on two levels: government and public/civil society. Establishing mechanisms for citizens to participate (supply initiatives) Implementing reforms to increase the demand for budget information (demand initiatives).

Preparation Execution Audit Consult The MoF conducts public hearings on the draft budget proposal of the Central Government (Kyrgyz Republic) Advisory board under the Ministry of Taxes and Charges participates in public discussions on draft regulatory & legal acts related to tax legislation (Belarus) The State Duma Committee on budget and taxes holds parliamentary hearings entitled Key Areas of Budget, Tax and Customs Tariff Policies for the Next Fiscal Year (Russian Federation) The MoF conducts budget hearings to survey public opinion on the semi-annual outturn report & on the draft annual report (Kyrgyz Republic) The Federal Law On General Principles of Organization of Legislative & Executive Authorities requires public hearings to be convened on annual reports on budget execution of the RF constituents (Russian Federation) Collaborate A working group that includes civil society representatives has been established to prepare proposals on simplification of the national tax system (Belarus) The Trilateral Commission for Regulation of Social & Labor Relations reviews & provides inputs on revised consolidated annual reports on implementation progress of national programs (Russian Federation) Public Councils participate in generating reports on audit operations (Russian Federation) Public participation reforms will take much longer than making key budget documentation available and accessible, as it requires working on two levels: government and public/civil society. Establishing mechanisms for citizens to participate (supply initiatives) Implementing reforms to increase the demand for budget information (demand initiatives).

Use of Citizen’s Budgets
Belarus The Citizens’ Budget is being developed and will be made available through the website of the Ministry of Finance upon finalization Croatia The Citizens’ Guide to the Budget contains information that is simple & easily understandable. It is posted on the Ministry of Finance website and hard copies of brochures are also made available to the public Kyrgyz Republic The Government Resolution on Compiling the Citizen’s Budget of the Kyrgyz Republic outlines a methodology to develop & publish the Citizen’s Budget version of: Central Government’s draft budget proposal Adopted Law on the Central Government’s budget Draft law adopting the report on the Central Government’s budget execution The Citizen’s Budget is not being used to engage the public in budget hearings since it is in the process of being compiled The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws. 3 countries are in the process of developing Citizen’s Budgets (Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic & Uzbekistan)

Use of Citizen’s Budgets
Russian Federation At the central government level, the Citizen’s Budget is of an indicative nature and is not being used to engage the public in parliament hearings. By out of 85 regions in the Russian Federation are utilizing Citizen’s Budgets to engage citizens in the public hearings that are convened to discuss the draft budget and budget execution reports. Serbia The Citizen’s Budget was published for the first time in 2015 It was updated after the Budget Act was adopted by the National Assembly and published on the website of the Ministry of Finance Uzbekistan A concept to develop the Citizen’s Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan was prepared in November 2017 The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws. 3 countries already publish Citizen’s Budgets, with 2 countries that have developed them for the subnational level as well (Croatia, Russian Federation)

Information shared with the Public Prior to Budget Consultations
Belarus Topics and schedules for ‘direct lines’ with the MoF (Belarus) Croatia A citizens’ guide to the budget in the form of brochures on: The state budget and projections adopted by the Parliament The semi-annual and annual reports on the execution of the state budget (Croatia) Kyrgyz Republic Public hearing announcements & agenda & presentations of government authorities are published on the MoF website 10 days in advance (Kyrgyz Republic) Russian Federation Information on parliamentary hearings is published at least 10 days in advance & should include: the topic of discussion, along with the date, time, location and procedure of the hearings and determination of their results (Russian Federation) The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws. 4 countries that convene public budget hearings or consultations provide the public with an advance notice of 10 days on average In addition to the draft budget proposal and other budget documents, 2 of the 4 countries that organize budget hearings/consultations provide background information in other formats that are more user friendly (Croatia & Kyrgyz Republic)

Measures for Responding to Public Inputs
2 of the 4 countries that organize budget hearings/consultations have taken steps to close the loop on if/how public comments were addressed or incorporated (Croatia, Kyrgyz Republic) 2 countries have specified a 15 day timeframe within which citizens are to receive a response to their petition (Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic) There are no specifics or examples regarding the number of petitions that were addressed during a specific timeframe The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Belarus If a question/feedback cannot be addressed during direct line consultations & requires additional investigation, a written response is provided to the citizen within 15 calendar days If the amount of time to respond to a petition exceeds one month, then an update is provided to the petitioner to explain the reason for the delay and the timeline by which s/he can expect a response/action A proposal to establish a centralized internet portal to receive citizens’ petitions is currently under consideration Croatia Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended National, regional & local government entities are to publish their reports on public consultations that have been conducted consultations The explanation of the bill sent into parliamentary procedure states why certain suggestions have been accepted or rejected Kyrgyz Republic Following the public hearing on the budget, the KR Ministry of Finance publishes its minutes and summarizes the comments/suggestions that were provided. The Citizens’ Petitions section on the MoF website is another avenue for the public to provide comments & suggestions on the draft republican budget and budget execution reports. Per KR legislation, responses to citizens’ petitions must be provided within two weeks The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Serbia The Fiscal Advisory Council’s assessment of the budget proposal is published on the website of the Fiscal Advisory and submitted to the National Assembly Russian Federation It is mandatory that the decisions of Public Council meetings as well as other documentation is posted online (including experts’ reviews of the regulatory drafts and other documents, annual action plans and annual reports on the outcomes of the Public Council’s activities) Open parliament hearings are covered by mass media & relevant materials and shorthand transcripts are furnished to the Parliament library within 10 days. Recommendations from open parliament hearings may be published in press, and are placed with the Fund of Electronic Information Resources of State Duma Uzbekistan 1.3 million petitions have been submitted to public bodies through the Integrated portal of interactive public services during the past 4 years which have contributed to the adoption of measures on several issues. The virtual office of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is another avenue for handling petitions from physical persons and legal entities and had received 1 million petitions by July 2017. Other departments have also established virtual offices where citizens can send their petitions by or through a feedback form. The section on Tax and Customs Policy is another forum for citizens to provide feedback. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

III. 2017 PEMPAL Survey: The Demand Side of Public Participation
Public participation reforms will take much longer than making key budget documentation available and accessible, as it requires working on two levels: government and public/civil society. Establishing mechanisms for citizens to participate (supply initiatives) Implementing reforms to increase the demand for budget information (demand initiatives).

2017 PEMPAL Survey: The Demand Side of Public Participation
Questions Who participates (certain groups, or is it open to all)? Are vulnerable or under-represented people, or the CSOs that represent them, included in any consultations? Are there CSOs in the country that are actively looking at budget information e.g. If applicable, do countries know which CSOs were engaged to implement IBP’s Open Budget Survey? Is there any budget related training provided by MoF or other government agency for CSOs, journalists, media representatives? Is there a budget literacy strategy aimed at improving literacy of citizens, certain groups? If so provide objectives, scope and details of such a strategy. Public participation reforms will take much longer than making key budget documentation available and accessible, as it requires working on two levels: government and public/civil society. Establishing mechanisms for citizens to participate (supply initiatives) Implementing reforms to increase the demand for budget information (demand initiatives).

Who Participates in the Budget Process?
Belarus Direct lines are open for everyone, without any limitations. Croatia Everyone who is interested can join the debate on the bill. All received questions must be answered. The public has no direct influence on the drafting of the proposed budget, but it can indirectly influence the members of parliament through the media. Kyrgyz Republic Participation in public hearings is open to all. Since 2013 public hearings on the Central Government’s budget are attended by the representatives of government ministries, public councils, CSOs and technical experts Russian Federation Public Councils can engage Russian citizens, NGOs and other associations of citizens not represented in the public council directly and/or by seeking their opinions, proposals and comments. Parliamentary hearings are open to the mass media, NGOs and the general public. Serbia - Uzbekistan The MoF is making attempts to involve experts and other stakeholders in discussions and adoption of key budget documents. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws. Although no groups are excluded from participating in the fiscal process, it is unclear whether vulnerable or under-represented groups have opportunities to be represented

CSO Engagement in the Fiscal Process
Conducting budget analysis (Belarus, Croatia, Kyrgyz Republic, Serbia, Russian Federation) Conducting open budget surveys at the local and regional self-government levels (Croatia) Publishing opinions & explanations of PFM issues in newsletter and press releases (Croatia) and on the State Duma website (Russian Federation) Developing an online tool for geo-visualization which depicts budget data for cities & municipalities, and which can be used to create various budget scenarios & solutions (Croatia) Participating in working groups and advisory boards on fiscal issues (Belarus, Russian Federation) Participating in the national biennial Open Budget Survey conducted by the International Budget Partnership (Croatia, Kyrgyz Republic, Russian Federation, Serbia) The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Trainings on Budget Related Issues for NGOs, Journalists & Media
Although none of the public entities in the surveyed countries systematically organize trainings, there have been efforts by development partners in the Kyrgyz Republic & Uzbekistan towards this end Only one of the countries surveyed envisions organizing trainings for media & journalists (Uzbekistan) The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Does the MoF or other public organization conduct trainings on budget related issues for NGOs, journalists & media? Belarus The Minister of Finance, as well as deputies & heads of relevant units usually address the public, journalists & representatives of mass media. Croatia The MoF and other government entities do not conduct trainings for CSOs, journalists or media representatives. However, MoF representatives participate in round tables and consultations organized by the academic community and CSOs. Kyrgyz Republic Government entities do not organize systematic trainings on the budget for CSOs, journalists, and media representatives. However, such trainings are delivered through projects financed by development partners & MoF staff may be engaged as speakers Russian Federation The MoF & other government agencies do not provide systematic training related to budget issues for CSOs, journalists and media. Serbia - Uzbekistan In 2014, the training center under the MoF organized a training workshop for representatives of mass media with the support of the UNDP Project on “Reform of the Budget System in Uzbekistan”. The Concept of preparation and publication of the Citizens’ Budget for envisions organization of trainings for media & journalists on key issues covered by the Citizens’ Budget. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Is there a Is budget literacy strategy intended for citizens
Is there a Budget Literacy Strategy that is Intended for Citizens or other Groups? The MoF-led national program on Management of Public Finance and Regulation of Capital Markets in the Russian Federation has included activities to improve the budget literacy of people and organizations engaged in the participatory budgeting process The Russian Federation’s MoF has developed & piloted a training course on Budget Literacy for high school students & Uzbekistan’s MoF has initiated a project on preparing a Budget Literacy training course for school children The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Is there a budget literacy strategy intended for citizens or other groups?
Belarus NO Croatia Kyrgyz Republic Russian Federation Training materials on improving financial literacy include a unit on public finance and taxation with a summary of a fiscal system and other issues. The MoF implemented a World Bank supported project on Improvement of Budget Literacy of High School Students from that was intended to develop civic consciousness among youngsters & skills to actively engage in the budget process. A package of learning and teaching materials was developed under the project to support the Budget Literacy for High School Students training course. The MoF-led national program on Management of Public Finance and Regulation of Capital Markets has included activities to improve the budget literacy of people and organizations engaged in the participatory budgeting process. Serbia - Uzbekistan The MoF’s Training Center has initiated a project on preparing a Budget Literacy Training and has created a training package for schoolchildren The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Recommendations Sharing user-friendly versions of draft budget documents in advance of public hearings, such as citizen’s budgets and brief presentations in addition to the existing information on the schedules, contents etc Continuing to use various public participation mechanisms during the budget preparation stage, and citizen engagement efforts during the stages of budget execution & audit Encouraging line ministries & SAIs to utilize interactive public participation mechanisms, particularly during the stages of budget execution and audit Encouraging outreach and engagement with vulnerable and marginalized groups, e.g. through CSO networks, alternate budgets Issuing guidelines to specify the role of citizens in the budget process & the steps required to address their feedback in a timely manner, particularly in contexts where overarching legislative frameworks do not provide detailed advice Encouraging public entities to organize regular budget literacy sessions/trainings for NGOs, journalists/media in collaboration with development partners, or exploring arrangements for think tanks/academia to assume the lead in collaboration with the MoF, line ministries & local governments Consider piloting budget literacy courses for adults and/or youngsters, either as stand-alone modules or as part of financial literacy/civic education The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Global Examples of Public Engagement Mechanisms
The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws. Source: Global Stock-Take of Social Accountability Initiatives for Budget Transparency and Monitoring : Key Challenges and Lessons Learned World Bank

The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Global Examples of Engagement with Vulnerable Groups
The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws. Source: Global Stock-Take of Social Accountability Initiatives for Budget Transparency and Monitoring : Key Challenges and Lessons Learned World Bank

Global Examples of Budget Literacy Resources
Type of Resource Global Examples of Budget Literacy Resources Blogs Understanding Fiscal Responsibility Blog (United States) Comics/Cartoons Sofinha and her Gang (Brazil) What’s in it for Us? (New Zealand) Crossword Puzzles National Budget Crossword (Ireland) Datasets on Public Spending A Scuola di OpenCoesione (Italy) Budget Stories (Moldova) Glossaries/Primers The ABC of Taxes (Guatemala) Declaring My Taxes (Costa Rica) Interactive Games CyberBudget Game (France) Role Playing Game-Deciding a Municipal Budget (Germany) Participatory Budgeting Guides Handbook for Schools to Implement Student Participatory Budgeting (Germany) Welsh Government Participatory Budgeting Toolkit (United Kingdom) PowerPoint Presentations Budget Taxation & Government Finances (Ireland) Government Spending (United States) Posters/Graphics/ Wordles National Budget Wordle (Ireland) Tax Expenditure Interactive Graphic (Uruguay) Quizzes/Trivia and Surveys Taxes Trivia (Dominican Republic) Tax Education and Citizenship Survey (New Zealand) TV shows/media clips 10-minute-box (Japan) PBS Learning Media: Government Revenues and Spending (United States) Worksheets and Handouts Government Expenditures Worksheet (Canada) Comparison of tax rates (Hong Kong) Tool Kits/Lesson Plans ‘Tax Matters’. HM Revenue and Customs (United Kingdom) Overview of Budget 2015: Building Our Future, Strengthening Social Security (Singapore)

Examples of Budget Literacy Resources: Russia Budget Literacy Course
Course objectives: To encourage responsible citizenship through understanding of public budget. To develop individual self-confidence to engage in budget processes. Course Content (36 hours) What do we pay to the budget and why? (10 h) What do we receive from the budget and how? (14 h) How we can influence the budget? (12 h) Scope of Pilot Testing: 31 education institutions of Altai Krai, Perm Krai & Bashkortostan Republic 58 teachers and 1048 students For teacher Review conducted based on request from the Russian Federation’s MOF Unlike financial literacy and citizenship education, concerted approaches to mainstream budget-literacy education at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of schooling are limited. Despite the dearth of literature on this topic, there has been no systematic attempt to compile standalone practices for advancing budget literacy that have been adopted by countries. Scope: Documentation of 35 case studies from 33 countries (primarily OECD countries and BRICs) Methodology: Review: Desk research on national education policies/strategies and curriculum standards for primary and secondary school subjects in 33 countries Outreach and Compilation: Outreach to more than 200 individuals and 150 organizations and compilation of inputs via s and/or phone discussions Documentation: Use of standard template to draft country case studies of illustrative budget literacy practices Analysis: Based on learning outcomes, contents, pedagogical approaches and materials, and assessment methods For parent For student

Thank you for your attention!
Questions can be referred to PEMPAL resource team: Maya Gusarova, Sr. Public Sector Specialist Harika Masud, Social Development Specialist

ANNEXES

Public Participation in PEMPAL Countries: Supply Side
BELARUS: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS Preparation Execution Audit Various media are used to explain draft laws to citizens using plain and clear language The Minister of Finance or his/her deputies conduct “direct phone lines” with citizens on Saturdays Consultations at local executive and administrative bodies The Ministry of Finance holds on-site meetings in all regions to handle petitions and proposals of citizens NGOs present proposals to the Parliament on making changes in legal acts, including fiscal and budget legislation Working group to prepare proposals on simplification of the tax system Advisory board under the Ministry of Taxes and Charges participates in public discussions on draft regulatory & legal acts related to tax legislation Information is disclosed on the Ministry of Finance website An aggregate report on the implementation of state programs is available on the Ministry of Economy website Line ministries present information on their activities on their websites The State Control Committee makes information available on its website to familiarize the public with the opinion on execution of the republican budget for the reporting fiscal year. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

CROATIA: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS Preparation Execution Audit The Government publishes all bills that are sent to the Parliament, as well as the proposed state budget with all prescribed annexes. Line ministries are obliged to publish their strategic plans on their websites. The Parliament publishes the agenda for its debates in the Committee for fiscal policy bills (state budget, state budget amendments) Public consultations are conducted by the MOF through their website The report on the consultations is an accompaniment of draft laws & regulations that are submitted for enactment Line ministries are obliged to publish their financial reports on their websites. The Parliament publishes the act on the execution of the state budget, semi-annual and annual report on the execution of the state budget The National Audit Office (SAI) publishes on its website the report on the conducted audit of the annual report of the execution of the state budget. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

KYRGYZ REPUBLIC: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS Preparation Execution Audit The Ministry of Finance conducts budget hearings on the draft budget proposal of the KR Central Government The Ministry of Finance posts minutes of the public hearings on its website Line ministries draft medium-term spending strategies and conduct public hearings prior to submitting them to the KR Ministry of Finance. Minutes of budget hearings convened by line ministries are published on their respective websites The KR Parliament conducts public hearings on the Central Government’s draft budget prior to the adoption of the draft law in the first reading The Ministry of Finance conducts budget hearings on the Central Government budget’s semi-annual outturn report, as well as the draft annual budget execution report The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS Preparation Execution Audit Other The Trilateral Commission for Regulation of Social and Labor Relations review fiscal information including scenario assumptions, social parameters of socio-economic development projections, key areas of fiscal and tariff policies. Public councils that represent the interests of Russian citizens & NGOs review the draft federal budget & provide their inputs The State Duma Committee on budget and taxes holds parliamentary hearings entitled Key Areas of Budget, Tax and Customs Tariff Policies for the Next Fiscal Year The Trilateral Commission for Regulation of Social and Labor Relations review consolidated annual reports on implementation progress and on the assessment of the performance of national programs Public Councils participate in generating reports on supervision & expenses incurred to maintain the federal executive authority and its regional offices Public Councils participate in generating reports on audit operations Participatory budgeting at the regional level Proposals under consideration to earmark participatory payments on projects initiated by citizens only & reflect 100 per cent of participatory payments as non-tax budget revenues in municipalities’ budgets. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

SERBIA: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS Preparation Execution Audit The Fiscal Advisory Council is an independent body established to improve the culture of fiscal responsibility in the Republic of Serbia. It is tasked with verifying macroeconomic and fiscal assumptions used to develop the Fiscal Strategy, providing an independent and credible assessment of economic policy measures proposed to the Government, assessing basic fiscal risks and the probability of the Government fulfilling its fiscal objectives in the future. The Fiscal Advisory Council verifies regular classification of capital expenditures in order to ensure regular measurement of quantitative fiscal objectives, and assesses whether the Government adhered to its fiscal rules, if there is cause to activate any clause for exceptional circumstances and the likelihood that the Government’s plan for adaptation will allow for adherence to fiscal rules. The Parliamentary Budget Office provides expert technical support to the working bodies of the National Assembly in order to facilitate supervision of public finances The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

UZBEKISTAN: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS Preparation Execution Draft regulatory documents are posted on the website of the Ministry of Finance & citizens have the opportunity to provide inputs and recommendations. In 2017 the Ministry of Finance requested relevant ministries, departments, scientific governmental and non-governmental institutions, economic entities and citizens to submit their inputs for the Concept for the 2018 Tax and Budget Policy. Information on budget execution is posted on the web site of the Ministry of Finance. Some information on the implementation of state specialized programs is available on the web site of the Ministry of Economy (regulatory and legal acts on approval of annual state programs, sectorial and territorial programs). Quarterly data on execution of the state budget is available in the public services portal. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Preparation Execution Audit
Public Participation Mechanisms Preparation Execution Audit Government The Minister of Finance or his/her deputies conduct “direct phone lines” with citizens on Saturdays (Belarus) The Fiscal Advisory Council conducts an independent assessment of economic policy measures proposed to the Government (Serbia) Information on budget execution is posted on the web site of the Ministry of Finance (Uzbekistan) The MoF conducts budget hearings on the Central Government budget’s semi-annual outturn report, as well as the draft annual budget execution report (Kyrgyz Republic) Line Ministries Advisory board under the Ministry of Taxes and Charges participates in public discussions on draft regulatory & legal acts related to tax legislation (Belarus) Minutes of budget hearings convened by line ministries are published on their respective websites (Kyrgyz Republic) An aggregate report on the implementation of state programs is available on the Ministry of Economy website (Belarus) Public Councils participate in generating reports on supervision & expenses incurred to maintain the federal executive authority and its regional offices (Russian Federation) Public Councils participate in generating reports on audit operations (Russian Federation) The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Preparation Execution Audit Parliament The State Duma Committee on budget and taxes holds parliamentary hearings entitled Key Areas of Budget, Tax and Customs Tariff Policies for the Next Fiscal Year (Russia) The Parliament conducts public hearings on the Central Government’s draft budget prior to the adoption of the draft law in the first reading (Kyrgyz Republic) The Parliament publishes the act on the execution of the state budget, semi-annual and annual report on the execution of the state budget (Croatia) The Parliamentary Budget Office provides expert technical support to the working bodies of the National Assembly in order to facilitate supervision of public finances (Serbia) SAI The National Audit Office publishes the audit of the annual report of the execution of the state budget (Croatia) The State Control Committee publishes budget execution information on its website (Belarus) The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Approach & Responsiveness to Public Consultations: Supply Side
Country Belarus Topics and schedules for ‘direct lines’ with the MoF are published in advance. Citizens, media, NGO representatives & associations (unions) can raise any issues pertaining to the mandate of the MoF. If a question/feedback cannot be addressed during the direct line and requires additional investigation, a written response is provided to the citizen within 15 calendar days. Information on petitions that have been submitted by citizens is compiled by public entities to which they have been addressed and are organized by topic. If the amount of time to respond to a petition exceeds one month, then an update is provided to the petitioner to explain the reason for the delay and the timeline by which s/he can expect a response/action. A proposal to establish a centralized internet portal to receive citizens’ petitions is currently under consideration. Croatia The draft state budget is published on the website of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the MoF before being sent to the Parliament. The MoF develops and publishes a citizens’ guide to the budget in the form of brochures on: - Guidelines for economic and fiscal policy - The state budget and projections adopted by the Croatian Parliament - Amendments to the state budget made during the year - The semi-annual and annual reports on the execution of the state budget The MoF has instructed local and regional self-government units to develop a citizens’ guide to the budgets of local and regional self-government units, and has published the proposed contents for the citizens’ guide on its website which will be developed along with the proposed budget of local and regional self-government units. During consultations, questions posed by citizens, CSOs and the media are addressed by respective entities through the web application. The explanation of the bill sent to parliamentary procedure states why certain suggestions have been accepted or rejected. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Country Kyrgyz Republic Background materials are published on the MoF’s official website 10 days prior to the public hearing. These materials include the public hearing announcement & agenda, the draft budget document submitted for the public hearing & presentations of government authorities. Following the public hearing on the budget, the KR Ministry of Finance publishes its minutes and summarizes the comments/suggestions that were provided. The Citizens’ Petitions section on the MoF website is another avenue for the public to provide comments & suggestions on the draft republican budget and budget execution reports. As per the KR legislation, responses to citizens’ petitions must be provided within two weeks. Russian Federation Federal Law 212-FZ of July 21, 2014 requires that information on parliamentary hearings is published at least 10 days in advance & should include: the topic of discussion, along with the date, time, location and procedure of the hearings and determination of their results. Open parliament hearings are covered by mass media & relevant materials and shorthand transcripts are furnished to the Parliament library within 10 days. Recommendations from open parliament hearings may be published in press, and are placed with the Fund of Electronic Information Resources of State Duma. It is mandatory that the decisions of Public Council meetings as well as other documentation is posted online (including experts’ reviews of the regulatory drafts and other documents, annual action plans and annual reports on the outcomes of the Public Council’s activities). The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Country Serbia Macroeconomic fiscal data are published monthly on the website of the Ministry of Finance; audit reports are published on the website of the SAI; the Fiscal Advisory Council’s assessment of the budget proposal is published on the website of the Fiscal Advisory and submitted to the National Assembly. Uzbekistan 1.3 million petitions have been submitted to public bodies through the Integrated portal of interactive public services during the past 4 years which have contributed to the adoption of measures on several issues. The virtual office of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is another avenue for handling petitions from physical persons and legal entities and had received 1 million petitions by July 2017. Other departments have also established virtual offices where citizens can send their petitions by or through a feedback form. During 9 months of 2017, 2/3rds of the petitions submitted to the Ministry of Finance and its departments were related to pension provision and 3% were related to tax and customs rates . The section on Tax and Customs Policy is another forum for citizens to provide feedback. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Are there CSOs that actively study & analyze budget information
Are there CSOs that actively study & analyze budget information? Demand Side Belarus The School of young managers of public administration (SYMPA) & the Belarussian economic research-educational center (Center of Economic Studies) conduct budget analysis Croatia The Croatian Institute of Public Finance: Actively monitors and analyses budget information and gives advice on budget transparency Conducts an open budget survey at the local and regional self-government levels (counties, towns, municipalities) Publish their opinions and explanations of current issues in public finance in Newsletter and Press releases. Has developed an online tool for geo-visualization which depicts budget data for cities & municipalities, and which can be used to create various budget scenarios & solutions. Participates in the biennial Open budget Survey conducted by the International Budget Partnership Kyrgyz Republic Several CSOs are actively engaged in analyzing budget information & engaging in the budget process CSOs also participate in the biennial Open budget Survey conducted by the International Budget Partnership Russian Federation Various research institutions and think tanks review the draft federal budget for the upcoming FY & planning period, as well as budget execution reports. Their opinions are published on the open State Duma website. The Analytical Center at the Government of the Russian Federation uses budget data to issue opinions on budgetary issues CSOs also participate in the biennial Open Budget Survey conducted by the International Budget Partnership The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Are there CSOs that actively study & analyze budget information?
Serbia CSOs also participate in the biennial Open Budget Survey conducted by the International Budget Partnership Uzbekistan NGOs use budget information as needed A 2012 PEFA Assessment was prepared but has not been published A number of research studies that cover various aspects of fiscal transparency in Uzbekistan were carried out by the World Bank, UNDP and other experts. The Act on the Right of Access to Information (Official Gazette no. 25/13 and 85/15) stipulates, among other things, the right to access and reuse the information owned by the public authorities, the limitations, the procedure and way of achieving and facilitating access to and reuse of information. In order to keep the public informed, public authorities competent for drafting acts and by-laws are obliged to publish on their website their annual plan of normative activities and consultation plan for drafts of acts and other regulations related to their area of work. Public consultations with the interested public usually last around 30 days. Public authorities are obliged to inform the interested public via their website on the accepted and reject proposals and comments, after the public consultations have ended. They should also publish the report on the conducted consultations with the interested public which is submitted to the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The aforementioned is also applied to the local and regional self-government units. The ultimate objective is to facilitate the interaction with citizens and representatives of the interested public in the democratic process and encourage a more active participation of citizens in the public life. The Act on the Evaluation of the Impact of Regulations (Official Gazette no. 44/17) among other things stipulates that the competent professional body shall develop a Statement on the evaluation of the impact of regulations and conduct consultations with the interested public (for the duration of at least 30 days, and in emergency cases a minimum of 15 days), pursuant to the special regulations that govern the right of access to information. For example, consultations with the interested public are conducted by the Ministry of Finance through their website ( The procedure of evaluating the impact of regulations ensures that the legislative procedure is open and transparent by including the interested public in the drafting of regulations, establishes possible barriers to the business of entrepreneurs and the status of citizens, and encourages cooperation and interministerial coordination of central government bodies in the procedure of drafting laws.

Mainstreaming Public Participation in Fiscal Policy and Budget Processes in PEMPAL Countries: Progress to Date & Next Steps PEMPAL Budget Community of.

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Mainstreaming Public Participation in Fiscal Policy and Budget Processes in PEMPAL Countries: Progress to Date & Next Steps PEMPAL Budget Community of.

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Presentation on theme: "Mainstreaming Public Participation in Fiscal Policy and Budget Processes in PEMPAL Countries: Progress to Date & Next Steps PEMPAL Budget Community of."— Presentation transcript:

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