Tunisia Ranks 104th in Open Budget Index 2023
Tunisia has been ranked 104th out of 125 countries in the Open Budget Index 2023 (IBO 2023), a key international indicator for evaluating the transparency of public budgets.
Published on May 29, 2024, the report reveals that Tunisia scored 16 points, marking a significant decrease of 26 points and 33 places compared to the previous results in 2021. In the Arab world, Tunisia ranks sixth, behind several other Arab countries.
This regression is mainly attributed to the non-publication of the 2023 finance bill before its promulgation by the Presidency of the Republic, as well as the temporary absence of the legislative institution during the survey period. These gaps had a negative impact on the budgetary process according to international standards.
It is worth noting that the methodology used by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) to calculate the budget index is based on quantitative parameters conforming to international standards, evaluating whether governments provide eight key budget documents and publish them in a timely manner, ensuring the completeness and accuracy of budget information.
In addition to the ranking, the report highlights several shortcomings in terms of budget transparency in Tunisia, including the lack of publication of certain key budget documents and reports.
Beyond the open budget indicator, the report assesses the level of participation in the budget process, where Tunisia ranks third in the Arab world. However, this participation has decreased compared to the previous survey.
The report recommends that Tunisia take several measures to improve its budget transparency, including the timely publication of various budget reports, the inclusion of detailed information on budget execution, and the adoption of innovative mechanisms to encourage citizen and civil society participation in the budget process.