By Richard Johnstone | 17 December 2013

The World Bank has launched a new campaign to encourage emerging economies to become more transparent in their budget-setting process.

The bank has created an open budgets portal that will allow budget data from national governments to be easily accessed and compared online, so citizens can follow how and where governments are spending their money.

This information will allow spending to be monitored so administrations are held accountable for efficient spending and improved services, the bank said.

It has been initially launched in 12 countries: Armenia, Guatemala, Kenya, Kiribati, Brazil, Moldova, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, the Seychelles, the Solomon Islands and Togo.

Sanjay Pradhan, the bank’s vice president for change, knowledge and learning, said access to high-quality budget data was needed to support governments, civil society and development partners in efforts to reduce poverty.
‘The new Open Budgets Portal is part of the World Bank Group’s contribution in operationalising the global open data and fiscal transparency agenda that helps accelerate the pace of development,’ he said.

‘Transparent and open data generate knowledge, which helps us all find the best development solutions together.’

The website is the first effort to create a one-stop shop for budget data worldwide, and forms the next stage of the bank’s BOOST initiative to increase fiscal transparency.

Welcoming the launch of the new portal, the Overseas Development Institute said it would be a great asset in promoting good practice.

‘Access to good quality data has the potential to transform how governments work,’ said Simon Gill, deputy director of the ODI’s Budget Strengthening Initiative.

‘The challenge now is to better understand how these tools can be used at the local level ­– by citizens, journalists, civil society and by governments themselves – to strengthen accountability and improve public services.’