Tunisia ranked 70th out of 115 countries in the Open Budget Index, compiled every two years by the International Budget Partnership (IBP), as part of its research program, in collaboration with the Department of Studies and Documentation of the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT).
Tunisia recorded 39 points and moved down 4 spots compared to 2015 results.
It ranked fourth among Arab countries, after Jordan, Morocco and Egypt while it was in the second place in 2015.
The calculation of the Open Budget Index is based on a set of quantitative criteria established in the light of international standards in the field, including those by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Fiscal Transparency and the World Bank.
It measures whether governments in 115 countries produce and make publicly available online and in a timely manner eight key budget documents recommended by international good practices.
It also examines formal oversight institutions and opportunities for public participation in national budget decision making.
Recommendations made to Tunisia included presenting more information on the draft budget law, providing more details on the detailed composition of expenditures and resources, as well as qualitative data and how to bring the features of the budget closer to government policies and the establishment of innovative model mechanisms (social audit / citizenship), allowing citizens to exchange their views with government officials on budgeting and monitoring.
