Philippines Ranks Number One in Asia for Budget Transparency

The International Budget Partnership (IBP) has released the results of the Open Budget Survey (OBS) 2017, ranking the Philippines as number one in Asia for budget transparency. The country scored 67, which is three points higher than its score in 2015 (64). Indonesia scored 64, Jordan 63, Japan 60, and South Korea 60.

Worldwide, the Philippines ranks 19th.

The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is a biennial survey that assesses budget transparency based on the amount and timeliness of budget information governments make available to the public. After being evaluated against 109 equally weighted indicators, each country receives a composite score (out of 100) that determines its ranking on the OBI.

The Philippines’ boasts a score of 41 for Public Participation, more than three times the global average at 12. It is one of only four countries to achieve a moderate score in the category, sharing this distinction with New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Philippines holds a score of 65 for Budget Oversight, with the legislature and the Commission on Audit providing adequate oversight over the budget.

Source: Philippine Information Agency