BY COBHAM NSA – Focused on sustaining fiscal reforms initiated under the $1.5 billion World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme, the Federal Government has embraced robust partnership with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to strengthen the processes nationwide.
This is as the government also disclosed that N471.9 billion has so far been disbursed to the 36 States of the Federation given results achieved in different Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) in the Annual Performance Assessments (APAs) (2018, 2019 and 2020).
The APAs were carried out by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) in line with global best practices.
According to the SFTAS National Programme Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr Stephen Okon, the programme aims at deepening fiscal transparency and accountability in the Public Financial Management (PFM) System towards improving good fiscal governance at the sub-national level.
Mr Okon said as part of strategies to ensure the sustainability of fiscal reforms at the sub-national level, the SFTAS Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) has continuously engaged stakeholders on the demand side, particularly the CSOs towards ensuring the sustenance of fiscal transparency and accountability in the State PFM activities.
Speaking at a sensitisation workshop organised for CSOs in Lagos recently, he explained that efforts were geared towards deepening CSOs’ appreciation of major elements in the SFTAS Programme for achievable results; enhancing programme visibility and buy-in; creating and sustaining mutual lines of communication, contact and understanding between the PCU and the CSOs; enhancing community mobilization for programme ideals’ sustainability; and engendering ownership and participation by CSOs post-SFTAS.
A statement by Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, the SFTAS Programme Communication Specialist, further quoted Okon as stressing that being in its fourth and final year of implementation, the programme needs to be sustained if its ideals are to be fully realized.
While urging the CSOs and the media to remain steadfast in promoting these ideals and taking full ownership of the programme beyond its life span, Okon said; “Some of these ideals already entrenched in the States’ PFM system include online publication of approved Citizens’ budget, Audited Financial Statements, improved procurement practices for increased transparency and value for money; strengthened public debt management and fiscal responsibility framework; improved clearance/reduction of stock of domestic expenditure arrears; and improved debt sustainability”.
He said beyond the disbursements, States are to continuously uphold and sustain the values and ideals of fiscal reforms initiated through the SFTAS programme, adding that the CSOs should use the provision of the SFTAS charter recently endorsed by the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum (NGF) to hold governments accountable as well as promote good fiscal governance at sub-national level.
The governors led by the NGF’s Chairman of the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, recently launched and signed the States’ Charter to Sustain Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Reforms in which they reiterated through the Charter, their unwavering commitment to sustainability and willingness to be further accountable to the people.
At the occasion, Governor Fayemi expressed confidence that the outcomes are already being sustained beyond SFTAS performance years, with States publishing their fiscal documents in line with appropriate standards and pursuing the implementation of various laws that have been put in place.
In his remarks, Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Mr. Debo Adeniran, pledged to close ranks with the States towards deepening advocacy and implementation of the ideals contained in the Charter.
Adeniran, who spoke for the Civil Society Coalition, said the partnership also focuses on enhancing community mobilization as well as taking direct ownership and coordination by CSOs post-SFTAS.
