Eighteen civil society organisations (CSOs) from across Bosnia and Herzegovina took part in a two-day training session titled “The Role of Civil Society Organisation Representatives in the Budgetary Process, with a Special Focus on the Local Budget Adoption Phase”, held in Vitez and organised by the Centre for Investigative Reporting (CIN).
“Civil society organisations play a vital role in monitoring local government budgets, particularly during the crucial budget adoption phase. That’s why this training is so important for local CSOs working to strengthen their capacity to engage in budget oversight within their communities,” said Marko Martić, one of the training facilitators.
This session was the second of five training modules delivered by CIN in partnership with the organisations Futura from Mostar and the Centre for Research and Studies – GEA from Banja Luka. The training is part of the LENS project – Strengthening Civil Society Organisations’ Capacity for Public Budget Monitoring, funded by the European Union. The project aims to support the fight against corruption by enhancing oversight of budget spending and the use of public funds at the local level, through the active participation of civil society, particularly organisations focused on budget monitoring, advocacy, anti-corruption policy, and promoting transparency in public spending.
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Murisa Marić from the organisation Don in Prijedor emphasised the importance of such training sessions for organisations that can influence the transparency of local budgeting processes.
“If every organisation monitored the flow of funds solely within the area it focuses on, we would undoubtedly see greater budget transparency in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the other hand, when citizens are involved in decision-making processes, it builds trust in government and local institutions. This approach strengthens the legitimacy of public authorities and makes them more accountable to their citizens,” Marić said.
During the training, participants had the opportunity to explore both positive and negative practices in budget planning, as well as ways to influence various phases of the budgetary process.
“There are clear shortcomings when it comes to the transparency of public fund spending, and these must be addressed through the active engagement of civil society in cooperation with representatives of institutions at all levels of government,” said Marin Bago, President of the Futura Association from Mostar, one of the partner organisations implementing the project.
