The National Council for Civic Education and Democracy in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, on Wednesday 5th April, 2023 launched an abridged version of the FY 2023 National Budget’ called the “Citizens Budget 2023.” This was done at the Conference hall of the Ministry of Finance with the participation of Non-State Actors (NSA), Journalists, representatives from different MDAs and staff of NaCCED and the Ministry of Finance of Finance.
The objective of the press conference was to promote greater public understanding of the National Budget, to enhance accountability and transparency in the management of public resources. The conference was also meant to create more public awareness and understanding of the work of the Ministry of Finance and vital interventions undertaken by the Ministry.
According to NaCCED’s Chairman, Mr. Kalilu Totangi, the mandate of his Council is to educate citizens on their rights and responsibilities, duties and obligations to the state, which includes raising awareness on how public funds are used and how people can be part of the decision making process. Mr. Totangi further stated that the Citizens Budget has been produced since 2021 in booklet and video animation forms to get citizens involved in financial management processes, as well as to promote monitoring and accountability amongst citizens and other non- state actors. “We are very pleased to be part of what the Ministry of Finance is doing, trying to get the people of Sierra Leone involved in the financial management processes for them to understand how government actually raises their monies and how they are spent, he said. NaCCED’s Chairman acknowledged the monitoring role of the Non-State Actors (NSAs) in financial processes that encourages “accountability and openness.” Mr. Totangi informed the participants that NaCCED, which is now an Act of Parliament is responsible for promoting an engaged, informed and empowered citizenry that participates in and contributes to national development. He then stated that a key pillar of the council focuses on “knowledge Management for sustainable national development.”
The Senior Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr. Samuel E.B Momoh who served as Chairman for the conference, noted that the Citizens Budget is not a replacement for the National Budget, but rather it’s a simplified version. He said the Ministry of Finance has been working towards achieving a transparent budget process that is understood by citizens. “We are all aware that the budget we take to Parliament is a voluminous document. So what we have done over the periods with the help of NaCCED is to make it into a simplified form and take it to our people, so that at a glance they will be able to understand the entire budget in a simplified form and language
Mr. Momoh cautioned that the Citizens Budget is not a total replacement of the National Budget stating, “This is not suggesting that the Citizens Budget is to replace the more detailed Budget document. It only provides a gateway to less technical budgetary information for ease of understanding by the citizens.”
“It is important to introduce citizens and civil society to the knowledge they need to participate as informed stakeholders that will hold their government accountable for how it manages public funds, he added.
Giving an overview of the 2023 Citizens Budget document, the Deputy Director of Budgets Dr. Ilara Mahdi, said the document highlight three (3) key elements namely; Key Revenue Measures, Expenditure Measures, and Expenditure Priorities for 2023 Fiscal year. She reiterated that the document gives a simple information on government priority services, their costs, execution plans, and promote citizens monitoring and assessment.
“The Citizens Budget basically tries to answer these main questions, in very simple terms; where the money is coming from? How much it is and where is the money going? She stated.”
An animated video in krio which also highlighted key areas of the 2023 Citizens Budget was screened. Printed booklets of the 2023 Citizens Budget were shared amongst every NSA and media representatives. Follow up questions and clarifications were made after the presentations and screening of the animated video.
The National Council for Civic Education and Development and the Ministry of Finance believe that an informed citizenry will contribute to constructive developmental debates, criticism and accountability.
