The National Team for Enhancing Public Budget Transparency
Calls on the Governing Authority in the Gaza Strip to publish the general budget for the year 2023
The Civil Budget Transparency Support Team called on the Government Work Follow-up Committee in the Gaza Strip to publish the general budget for the fiscal year 2023, in implementation of the right of taxpayers and the various components and forces of society to access information, as they have the right to participate in the discussion of the general budget, the right to determine national priorities and participate in public policy-making.
Over the last few years, the civil society team urged the Ministry of Finance and the Government Work Follow-up Committee in the Gaza Strip to improve the participatory method in preparing the general budget. The team sent many letters and demands to the Budget Committee in the Legislative Council, the Presidency of the Government Work Follow-up Committee, and the Ministry of Finance to review the draft budget for the fiscal year 2023, and to provide an opportunity to participate in determining the priorities of budget programs with the relevant authorities, but they did not respond to these calls to reveal information to citizens and related civil society organizations, or respond to the letters and demands of the civil society team to hold a session to discuss the draft budget law.
Despite the approval of the Change and Reform Bloc in the Palestinian Legislative Council of the General Budget Law of March 27, 2023, the Ministry of Finance and the Change and Reform Bloc in the PLC did not respond to the demands of the civil society team to publish the general budget law, its detailed annexes and the citizen's budget, or provide the civil society team with any information regarding these matters.
Based on the foregoing, the National Team confirms the following:
First: The need for the ruling authority in the Gaza Strip to widen the circle of popular participation and be receptive to civil society organizations, allowing them to debate matters such as the general budget and the management of public affairs and funds, which concern citizens and affect aspects of their lives with stakeholders and various components of society.
Second: Gaza’s ruling authority’s continued reticence to disclose information, that is, withholding information related to the public budget, whether during its preparation, approval, implementation and supervision, creates fissures between the ruling authority and the citizens, and gives opportunity for the rise of rumors related to mismanagement of public affairs and funds.
Third: The disinclination of the Ministry of Finance in the Gaza Strip to publish the general budget documents amounts to a retreat from the commitments and pledges it made in separate meetings with the civil team for transparency in preparation of the general budget in the Gaza Strip, and to be inclusive to civil society organizations, the “Civil Group for Supporting Public Budget Transparency in the Gaza Strip,” and to enable citizens to obtain information.
Fourth: The reluctance of the Change and Reform Bloc in the PLC in approving the General Budget Law for the year 2023 in the Gaza Strip is contrary to all parliamentary norms adopted by the Palestinian Legislative Council in the discussion of the draft general budget law, and a violation of the rules of the Basic Law and the General Budget and Financial Affairs Regulation Law No. 7 of 1998.
Fifth: The Government Work Committee’s adoption of the budget program would support the achievement of development projects, help direct public resources and improve the management of financial resources; but the success of this approach depends largely on the involvement of citizens (taxpayers) and civil society organizations in identifying national priorities and development programs that are consistent with the requirements of each particular phase.
Accordingly, the Civil Society Team for Enhancing Budget Transparency calls on the ruling authority in the Gaza Strip for:
1) The Ministry of Finance to commit to publishing the general budget documents, especially the detailed budget, the citizen's budget and the final account.
2) The adoption by the Committee for the Follow-up of Government Work in the Gaza Strip of a general policy that guarantees the enactment of citizens' right to access and obtain information, including partnership with civil society organizations, especially in the management of public affairs and funds and the public budget.
3) Responding to the demands of the civil society team for Enhancing transparency in setting the public budget, by involving civil society organizations and representatives of taxpaying citizens in discussing the general budget law and monitoring its performance, so they can participate in policy-making and determine national priorities, as well as helping bear the burdens resulting from the challenges facing the Gaza Strip, considering the limitations of local resources, the unrelenting siege and constant aggression against it by the Israeli occupation.
