New Frontiers of Openness

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has historically performed below worldwide averages on governance and fiscal transparency indicators – particularly reflected by the Open Budget Survey (OBS) of the International Budget Partnership (IBP)—an independent, comparative, and regular measure of budget transparency and accountability. The region exhibits significant diversity: although some countries have made progress in recent years, a considerable number continues to struggle to move forward their agenda on fiscal transparency; this also includes backsliding in some key indicators, for instance related to budget transparency. According to the OBS in 11 selected MENA countries, IBP highlights that very limited information on the budget is publicly available and does not suffice to hold governments accountable for their spending. It is therefore critical that governments step up their efforts to strengthen and institutionalize open budget practices.

As part of the 2023 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, Fiscal Affairs Department and Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC) and the International Budget Partnership are convening a high-level dialogue on fiscal transparency and accountability. The event comes at a time when policymakers need to implement measures to build a more resilient future by, among other things, improving governance and accountability and strengthening policy frameworks.

The objective of the high-level event is to demonstrate the benefits of greater budget transparency and to highlight reforms and opportunities for progress. To this end, the event brings together representatives from government and civil society from countries in the region, the International Monetary Fund, the International Budget Partnership and the European Union to showcase successful models of reform and stimulate debate on fiscal transparency from different angles.

For further information, please contact Claire Schouten.