Day: May 29, 2024

The Dominican Republic ranks 1st in the continent for social participation in the Budget, achieving a historic rating in the 2023 Open Budget Survey

Citizen Encounters, Territorial Development Councils, the RUDCT (Regional Network of Community-Based and Territorial Councils), and more interactive and effective communication are among the strategic social participation initiatives highlighted in the results of the 2023 Open Budget Survey. The International Budget Partnership (IBP), through the 2023 Open Budget Survey, ranks the Dominican Republic first in the Americas in the Social Participation in the Budget Index and fourth globally, behind only South Korea, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, out of 125 countries evaluated. In this assessment, the country achieved a record score of 48 points, compared to the global average of just 15 points, rising from 22 to 48 points in only two years. Despite a regional context of decline in budget transparency in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic maintained its score of 77 points. In this category, the global average is only 45 points. In this edition, the Dominican Republic ranks 12th out of 125 countries and 3rd among countries in the region, behind Brazil and Mexico and ahead of Canada (16th) and the United States (22nd). The global report, available on the IBP website, highlights the country's efforts in demonstrating how the budget is distributed and impacts different groups, such as children, gender equality, and geographic areas, as specific aspects that have improved compared to previous editions. The report also recognizes the alignment of the budget with the 2021-2024 National Multi-Year Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in tracking the needs of specific groups and making long-term strategic investments to improve people's lives and strengthen the economy. The same report highlights that “an important lesson to be learned from the Dominican Republic is the value of presenting information over several years, which can demonstrate the impact budgets have on communities over time, improve advocacy, and keep countries on track to meet development goals.” Again, in terms of transparency, we continue to ensure the public availability of the eight strategic documents in the budget cycle. The Dominican Republic’s budget management achievements have been recognized by IBP Executive Director Ana Patricia Muñoz in the global report: “The Dominican Republic has made progress in each consecutive round of the survey, and its efforts to broaden public deliberation around investment projects help create a shared sense of acceptance of the development agenda of one of Latin America’s fastest-growing economies. These positive points underscore that an open budget agenda is indeed possible anywhere, provided there is political will and leadership to drive reform.” These achievements, evidenced in the results of the 2023 Open Budget Survey, reflect this administration's commitment to providing genuine opportunities for citizen participation in the General State Budget. The IBP report highlights several strategic initiatives of this administration that have contributed to these results, including the Territorial Development Councils, Citizen Meetings, and the Single Registry of Territorial Citizen Demands (RUDCT). The report also emphasizes and values three specific aspects: (1) the decentralization of budget formulation, (2) more meaningful and interactive communication, and (3) the impact on both budget formulation and execution. In particular, the report underscores the high performance achieved in the area of social participation in budget formulation, as part of the budget cycle, with a score of 80 points. This aspect is particularly relevant considering that citizen participation in this stage of the draft budget has historically been the most opaque. It demonstrates that the days of budget discussions behind closed doors, among bureaucrats and without public oversight, are over. This represents a giant leap, increasing from 22 to 48 points in just two years, and demonstrates the firm commitment of the current administration to raising the levels of budget transparency, social participation, and efficiency in the management of public resources intended to improve the lives of citizens and continue guaranteeing the growth and strength of the Dominican economy. A more citizen-focused and accessible General State Budget: Since the beginning of the current administration led by José Rijo Presbot, the General Directorate of Budget has undertaken efforts aimed at citizen participation, social oversight, and transparency. These initiatives include the weekly budget execution report, Citizen Meetings, the Citizen Budget, the publication of reports and infographics on the institutional website and through social media, and an effective response through public access channels to information to guarantee citizens' right to know. This demonstrates that the days when the budget was discussed behind closed doors and without public scrutiny are over.