At the event, which was attended by specialists from the Ministry of Finance, representatives of the sphere and international experts, Deputy Minister of Finance Ahadbek Khaydarov, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Matilda Dimovska and others noted that in recent years, as part of the reforms carried out in the country, great attention has been paid to increasing openness and transparency of budget data, strengthening parliamentary and public control over the formation and spending of funds from the budget.
It was emphasized that the introduction of mechanisms aimed at increasing the participation of citizens in the process of budget formation is gaining importance. Cooperation with specialists from foreign countries plays an important role in the practical implementation of the Participatory Budgeting project. It is gratifying that thanks to the experience accumulated in this area, taking into account the mentality and public opinion of the country’s citizens, a peculiar model of the Participatory Budgeting process was created.
Participants of the forum were informed about the activities carried out within the framework of the Participatory Budgeting process. The main attention was paid to the launch of the “Open Budget” information portal in an updated form – by the new procedure adopted on the mechanism for channeling budget funds based on public opinion, as well as maintaining a systemic work based on this portal.
UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Ms. Matilda Dimovska expressed UNDP’s full readiness to support the Government of Uzbekistan in this important process.
“In recent years the Government of Uzbekistan has been undertaking significant steps towards reforming the public financial management system and making the budgetary process more transparent, accountable, and efficient”, she noted. – First, I would like to praise once again the Government’s effort to actively involve civil society in the budgetary process and congratulate the Ministry of Finance on the successful piloting and full-scale introduction of participatory and initiative budgeting in Uzbekistan. The results mentioned by the deputy minister and achieved during the piloting stage and this year are very good. Behind these numbers are active citizens who, through their initiatives, have been able to solve infrastructural challenges in their communities, making their and the lives of their neighbours better and more comfortable. Evidence shows that active involvement of citizens in the budgetary process helps better address their needs, strengthens public oversight over budgetary resources, increases accountability of public authorities and ensures participation of citizens in the decision-making process. It is important to improve budget literacy and thus empower citizens to participate in all stages of the budget process. The system is more efficient when communities understand the importance of not just submitting proposals, but also discussing them, and insisting on public control.
Nasiba Ziyodullayeva, UzA
