Civil Insight: 2024 Budget Project for 5 Municipalities

Description

The 2024 Municipal Budget is an initiative that serves as a technical opposition approach and reflection of the citizen voice based on our Social Audit methodology for local government, which ALTAX experts presented at the beginning of 2022. In the analysis that compares the achievements of 2023 (operational data), as well as the reactions of citizens summarized by the questionnaire for this purpose during September – October 2023 was used as a data based on two directions to make an approach of meeting points and those that are divided between the budgetary and regulatory offer of the municipality with the demands and reactions of the local public.

A productive approach that is valid in the economic situation and context is the summary with the comments of local business representatives, prominent individuals, students, but also with the strong involvement of the active part of the civil society, which also participates in its widespread.

The budget prepared by the municipality is based on and divided into five categories, which cover a) Salaries and contributions, b) Goods and maintenance, c) Local services, d) Debts and subsidies and d) Capital investments.

The financial challenges facing the local government have been strong in recent months.

All local authorities are facing ongoing and new financial pressures due to a combination of factors. These include the inadequacy of central government funding and the impact of persistently important levels of cost inflation.

From our monitoring and survey, we notice that the contribution of citizens is limited to only a few spaces for intervention and influence on the budget project. Generally, they are in the form of proposals for adding or removing projects or reducing/increasing any amount dedicated to a subsidy. However, the immutable reference according to the format already drawn up by the municipality based on the standard model instructed by the Ministry of Finance and Economy does not accept essential changes, as they are the copyright of the government.

Regarding the question of what makes a local government include citizens in the budget, experts have identified the following factors: 1) environmental factors, such as political culture, form of local government, community size. , and heterogeneity; 2) use of engagement mechanisms, such as public hearings, citizen surveys and advisory committees; 3) design process policies, such as timing and motivation of participants; and 4) the role of public administrators, especially the professionalism and attitude of city managers towards citizen participation.

In the commitment according to the law “On public notification and consultation”, for which we have communicated not only to the public, but also to the Commissions of the Assembly and the Good Governance Unit of the Government, we have committed to essential changes to adhere to some basic principles of governance well.

Holding consultations in the budgeting process, and beyond this period, stems from the obligation for accountability, which must stem from detailed and exhaustive analyzes that consider the applicability of the political program through monitoring the decisions of the Municipal Council, but also the performance of the Municipality and the mayor hers.

Meanwhile, public opinion comments, which include various categories and layers of the local community, should be conducted based on the qualified comment of the citizen through the selected expertise.

Note. The text of the report is in Albanian language.