On a Transparent Budget
Costa Rica places first among eight Latin American countries analyzed in relation to transparency in the making of public budgets.

This surfaced in the outcome of the Latin American Budget Transparency Index, an independent organization which analyzes the process that state budgets undergo.

This year’s Index takes in Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Costa Rica.

In spite of the positive outlook, analysts pointed out that there is a lot of room for improvement, since there are weak areas, such as citizen participation in the spending plan, the allotment of budget –designing efficient strategies for the distribution of funds –, and accountability.

The Latin American Index of Budget Transparency 2005 is presented in an 83 page comparative report containing the results of a survey conducted in each participating country. Researchers surveyed individuals who regularly use budget information and who are knowledgeable about the budget and budget process in their countries. The survey asks questions about the individuals' views on issues related to budget transparency, accountability and the ability of citizens to be informed and participate in debates involving their government’s budget.

The individuals surveyed include legislators, academics and other experts, civil society organizations and journalists. The comparative report contains specific recommendations for each country on how to strengthen budget transparency, accountability and citizen participation.