OSCE Centre in Bishkek holds conference on transparent and effective budgeting

BISHKEK, 25 December, 2008 - The OSCE Centre in Bishkek hosted a conference in Karokol today to discuss transparency in budgeting and the role of civil society and public hearings in drafting local budgets.

Participants included representatives of local self-governments and municipal councils of the Issyk-Kul, Naryn, Osh and Batken regions, as well as experts from the Kyrgyz Parliament, the Finance Ministry and international organizations. They discussed ways to increase effective financial transparency on the local level, advance management and monitoring of local budgets, and explored best practices in this area.

Lilian Darii, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: "Budget decentralization is a key area for the Kyrgyzstan. With local governments having much more control over revenues and expenditures, it is vital to secure transparency in budgeting processes through the wider participation of civil society."

The event was organized in partnership with the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA), which implements the "Open Budget" programme across the country.

"Based on our experience of working throughout the country, public involvement in budgeting processes is key to the efficient management of local resources. Such involvement allows citizens to work with local government to improve the situation in their communities, thereby reducing dependence on government or donor financial support," said Edward Winter, Executive Director of the EFCA office in Kyrgyzstan.

The participants shared their experiences with improving mechanisms for civil society participation in public hearings on local budgets. Recommendations for other provinces on introducing efficient techniques for transparent budgeting will be one of the important outcomes of the conference.

The conference was held in the framework of OSCE Centre's good governance programme, in co-operation with the British Embassy in Astana and USAID.