In an era of democratic governance and transparency, citizen participation in public decision-making processes is vital. One crucial aspect of public administration that directly affects citizens' lives is budget allocation and expenditure. In light of the above, Gambia Participates in partnership with Sector Specialists (budget planners) from the Government of The Gambia, mainly from Ministry of Health and Agriculture, sought the need to improve participatory budgeting by organizing an open budget dialogue with about 250 participants across 5️ regions in the Gambia namely Lower River Region (LRR) Central River Region, (CRR) Upper River Region (URR) and North Bank Region (NBR). Health is a critical budget sector and with the growing challenges rural communities are facing on daily basis in accessing quality and timely healthcare services, the open budget dialogue availed the sector specialist from the Ministry of Health to further understand the current challenges communities are faced with and how the subsequent fiscal budgets could address these identified healthcare issues, by geographical settings. More than 60% of The Gambian population depends on agriculture for sustenance, the sector which was once considered the “backbone of The Gambian economy”, has been experiencing slow growth due to heavy dependance on rain, imported fertilizer and lack of productive market to process locally made goods by local farmers, thus, subsistence farming becomes more prevalent in the agricultural sector in The Gambia. The Open Budget Dialogue aims to bridge the gap between the government and its people, empowering citizens by creating such platforms for them (citizens) to decide how the budget could improve their lives, including their economic activities, in this case agriculture. This process fosters an environment where citizens can actively participate in shaping the future of their communities. In today's financial landscape, it is crucial to promote transparency and empower individuals to understand the impact of public financial decisions on their lives. By promoting transparency, people gain valuable insights into the priorities, trade-offs, and allocation of resources within their community. This understanding ignites a sense of ownership, budget accountability, and shared responsibility for the progress of the community as a whole. Therefore, engaging members of communities and including their voices in the budgeting process is crucial and key to development. As it lays the foundation for a citizen-centered and pro-poor budget formulation. Annetta Mahoney, Program Manager at Gambia Participates, emphasized the significance of the dialogue session while addressing the audience. In her remarks, she shed light on the comprehensive budgeting process that has been undertaken, with a strong emphasis on citizen involvement at every level. “By fostering meaningful engagement, this approach seeks to empower citizens and enable them to actively contribute to the formulation of the 2024 budget”. Modou Cessay, a sector specialist from the Ministry of Health, highlighted the significance of an open budget dialogue process. He stresses that this process plays a crucial role in enabling the Ministry of Health input the key recommendations voiced by citizens by ensuring the inclusion of citizens' input when formulating the health budget. “Engaging in such open discussions, the Ministry will reflect and create a more transparent and participatory budgeting process that addresses the needs and aspirations of the public” he concluded.. During the open budget dialogue sessions, participants in the community presented their key development needs to be addressed in the 2024 budget. Ebrima I Jallow, one of the participants, believes that the recommendations provided will have a significant impact on the 2024 budget. According to him, the healthcare system needs to be improved in the communities. This he believes could involve upgrading existing healthcare facilities by investing in healthcare systems. The open budget dialogue has a profound impact on citizens, creating an immense influence. Through active participation in the budgeting process, citizens assume the role of stakeholders in their country's development, thereby fostering a deep sense of ownership and responsibility. This participatory approach not only empowers citizens but also provides the government with invaluable insights into the genuine needs and aspirations of the people it serves. As a result, a foundation of trust and understanding is established between the government and its citizens, enhancing the overall relationship and cooperation between the two entities. Francis Mendy, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, expressed great excitement about the ongoing dialogue. He believes that this dialogue is essential for effective planning, as it will address the pressing issues farmers face in their respective regions. Mendy emphasized that by incorporating these key issues raised by participants, it will be a significant step towards ensuring that citizens are not left behind in the 2024 budget process. The Open Budget Dialogue was created for the citizens to decide how public funds should be appropriated in addressing key, but persistent, issues that affects their socio-economic activities. In this platform, the citizens do more of the talking while government representatives record the inputs and, in some cases, provide clarity. The collective efforts together are pivotal for a more prosperous, equitable, and inclusive Gambia. It signifies an outstanding step towards transparent governance and citizen participation. This endeavor serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards a brighter future for The Gambia and its extraordinary citizens. By actively collaborating and engaging in this dialogue, this in turn will shape the nation where every voice is not only heard but also valued. This activity is implemented by Gambia Participates with support from U.S. Embassy Banjul through the FTIF project.
Health is a critical budget sector and with the growing challenges rural communities are facing on daily basis in accessing quality and timely healthcare services, the open budget dialogue availed the sector specialist from the Ministry of Health to further understand the current challenges communities are faced with and how the subsequent fiscal budgets could address these identified healthcare issues, by geographical settings. More than 60% of The Gambian population depends on agriculture for sustenance, the sector which was once considered the “backbone of The Gambian economy”, has been experiencing slow growth due to heavy dependance on rain, imported fertilizer and lack of productive market to process locally made goods by local farmers, thus, subsistence farming becomes more prevalent in the agricultural sector in The Gambia.
The Open Budget Dialogue aims to bridge the gap between the government and its people, empowering citizens by creating such platforms for them (citizens) to decide how the budget could improve their lives, including their economic activities, in this case agriculture. This process fosters an environment where citizens can actively participate in shaping the future of their communities. In today's financial landscape, it is crucial to promote transparency and empower individuals to understand the impact of public financial decisions on their lives. By promoting transparency, people gain valuable insights into the priorities, trade-offs, and allocation of resources within their community. This understanding ignites a sense of ownership, budget accountability, and shared responsibility for the progress of the community as a whole. Therefore, engaging members of communities and including their voices in the budgeting process is crucial and key to development. As it lays the foundation for a citizen-centered and pro-poor budget formulation.
Annetta Mahoney, Program Manager at Gambia Participates, emphasized the significance of the dialogue session while addressing the audience. In her remarks, she shed light on the comprehensive budgeting process that has been undertaken, with a strong emphasis on citizen involvement at every level. “By fostering meaningful engagement, this approach seeks to empower citizens and enable them to actively contribute to the formulation of the 2024 budget”.
Modou Cessay, a sector specialist from the Ministry of Health, highlighted the significance of an open budget dialogue process. He stresses that this process plays a crucial role in enabling the Ministry of Health input the key recommendations voiced by citizens by ensuring the inclusion of citizens' input when formulating the health budget. “Engaging in such open discussions, the Ministry will reflect and create a more transparent and participatory budgeting process that addresses the needs and aspirations of the public” he concluded.
During the open budget dialogue sessions, participants in the community presented their key development needs to be addressed in the 2024 budget. Ebrima I Jallow, one of the participants, believes that the recommendations provided will have a significant impact on the 2024 budget.According to him, the healthcare system needs to be improved in the communities.This he believes could involve upgrading existing healthcare facilities by investing in healthcare systems.
The open budget dialogue has a profound impact on citizens, creating an immense influence. Through active participation in the budgeting process, citizens assume the role of stakeholders in their country's development, thereby fostering a deep sense of ownership and responsibility. This participatory approach not only empowers citizens but also provides the government with invaluable insights into the genuine needs and aspirations of the people it serves. As a result, a foundation of trust and understanding is established between the government and its citizens, enhancing the overall relationship and cooperation between the two entities.
Francis Mendy, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, expressed great excitement about the ongoing dialogue. He believes that this dialogue is essential for effective planning, as it will address the pressing issues farmers face in their respective regions. Mendy emphasized that by incorporating these key issues raised by participants, it will be a significant step towards ensuring that citizens are not left behind in the 2024 budget process.
The Open Budget Dialogue was created for the citizens to decide how public funds should be appropriated in addressing key, but persistent, issues that affects their socio-economic activities. In this platform, the citizens do more of the talking while government representatives record the inputs and, in some cases, provide clarity.
The collective efforts together are pivotal for a more prosperous, equitable, and inclusive Gambia. It signifies an outstanding step towards transparent governance and citizen participation. This endeavor serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards a brighter future for The Gambia and its extraordinary citizens. By actively collaborating and engaging in this dialogue, this in turn will shape the nation where every voice is not only heard but also valued.
This activity is implemented by Gambia Participates with support from U.S. Embassy Banjul through the FTIF project.