Full implementation of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management and Information Systems (GIFMIS) would help to address gaps identified in timeliness of financial and fiscal reporting at all levels of government.

“It is envisaged that with the extension of the GIFMIS project, budget processes in Ghana will be greatly improved especially the automation of MDA [Ministries, Departments and Agencies] budgets and to regulate spending to correspond to agreed levels under the IGF [Internally Generated Funds] rules,” according to a new report “Putting Action to the Figures: Issues of Budget Accountability and Transparency in Ghana”.'

The report was launched in Accra at a national multi-stakeholder workshop on the theme: “'The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Promoting Fiscal Transparency in Ghana.”

The report was commissioned by Ghana Aid Effectiveness Forum Secretariat and SEND-Ghana, with funding from the World Bank to lead ongoing civil society led budget tracking initiatives to promote best practices to ensure future budget transparency.

“GIFMIS when fully implemented will provide reliable system reports to improve genuineness and relevancy of information and reduce the unnecessary delays in obtaining public fiscal information,” the report said.

The report states that the bureaucracy involved in obtaining public information relating to health budget should be minimised.

“Obtaining public information under a democratic rule should not be cumbersome. Transparency in budgeting can enable citizens to access the true priorities of the government and reveal inequalities existing in sharing of the 'national cake' to inform CSO (civil society organisations) advocacy,” it adds.

Clara Osei Boateng, Director of Policy Advocacy Programmes at SEND-GHANA, said the workshop was aimed at presenting findings of the independently monitored and evaluated 2013 budget to provide evidence for public dialogue and the subsequent fiscal responsibility in Ghana.

She said budget monitoring helps to provide evidence for policy dialogue for greater fiscal responsibility, improve credibility by making the budget more responsive to development policies.

The report also recommends that CSOs should be given more space to influence the four stages of the budget cycle more meaningfully.

Also, the media needs to reinforce its watchdog role and collaborate closely with CSOs with regard to the budgetary processes and increase education on budget in various languages through community FM radio stations.