Participatory budget does not guarantee transparency

All started in practice, as one of those rare good deeds. And today, in theory, to the less RD$ 2,000,000,000 are projected to be invested in the municipalities own communities decision, becoming thus the Municipal participatory budget (PPM) a major asset for the development of municipalities and municipal districts.

Most of these resources will be invested in the construction of roads, electrification, water solutions, schools, popular boticas, sidewalks and contenes, according to the unity of participatory budget of the Dominican Federation of municipalities (Fedomu).

The reality is that part of these works are not responsibility of the Councils, but says Francis George, Coordinator of the participatory budgeting of Fedomu unit, can not criticize a city to do the works that the Government has forgotten.

"These are not works of Councils, however the" u000aCouncils must make them before the order (of people). "Municipalities are practically serving the work of the ministries," said the official municipal.

But the inclusion of the PPM in law 170-07, and then in the 176-07, not guaranteed in practice resources and works approved in community assemblies to be executed. And a sample of this is the transparency report the citizen participation organization on the Mayor of Santiago, which detailed that the 55 works included in the participatory budget 2011, equivalent to RD$ 158 million, just 4 works have been completed. Of that total, only 11 works were started.

Law
the above-mentioned laws create works and Social audit committees composed of people from the communities themselves, but this single entity is empowered for monitoring and follow-up of the works run, situation, which in fact also be them u000ahampered by a lack of transparency of the cabildos information public.

To understand what difficult is to make information public in the cabildos, we could use a study on access to the public of the citizen participation organization information held in the summer of last year and showing the weaknesses of local councils in such a sensitive issue such as access to the information.

According to the study, only 2% of Councils published its budget implementation. None of the cabildos presents its financial statements to the municipal

Only 3% of Councils published their payroll of employees. From 155 municipalities, only 3 have disclosed the affidavit of its mayor.

None of the cabildos, according to the report, presented the sworn statement of all the regidores. Only 5 city councils publish information about bids or tenders. Only 1% of the u000aCabildos disseminates information on outcomes or proceedings for the award of contracts made.

But there are still more, only 10 municipalities of 155 have the offices access to the information public.

Do monitoring?
is there any institution to monitor the works raised in the PPM are works which are carried out? any institution can force to the Councils to fulfil what was agreed in the communities? Both responses are negative.

However, the participatory budgeting of Fedomu unit provides advice for the preparation of the PPM the cabildos requesting them. Those who use the tutelage of the unit must supply a report of accountability to justify their actions.

Is conducive to clarify that nothing obliges the cabildos to perform PPM with this unit, in fact only 234 municipalities (city councils and municipal boards) 383 operating in the country receive this u000atutoring.

149 Remaining municipalities may choose to carry out its processes with NGOs, according to statements by Jorge.

This situation sow doubt about the need for an institution to regulate, with legal authority, the implementation and enforcement of the PPM.

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Collaboration of the people
the PPM was implemented for the first time in the country in 1999 in Villa Gonzalez, Santiago. Some communities have been involved both in the process have contributed to economic deprivation of their councils, not skilled labor and in some cases up to construction materials, situation that has allowed to save up to 5% of the total amount of the work.

Municipal law establishes the presence of the sector of the Government in community assemblies so that ministries assume some of the proposed works. This provision is not complied with, and when the sectional come they do not assume u000athe works that call for the communities.

The mayoralties of Baní, Higu¨ey, San Francisco de Macorís, San Pedro de Macorís and Moca are the highest percentage of fulfillment of the PPM in accountability to the unity of participatory budgeting of Fedomu in so far this year.

This list is also added to the cabildo of Santo Domingo Este, whom Fedomu "brings a dish separate" in the greater Santo Domingo.

According to Francis George, the District National had executed the 65% of its PPM in the last report yielded to the institution, and already are in assemblies neighborhood for the next year.

Jorge regretted that the community assemblies do not ask literacy and training programmes, but communities to prioritize the constructions of works. Fidias Aristy, Secretary general of the Dominican Municipal League, said that an effective control mechanism within communities, must be created which assured must create u000afollow-up mechanisms.

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