Staff Reporter
Zimbabwe’s ranking on the Open Budget Survey (OBS) has improved significantly, now standing at number 30 out of 125 countries. This remarkable leap is a testament to the success of the economic reforms initiated by the Second Republic.
In a press statement yesterday, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Professor Mthuli Ncube said the improvement in the budget transparency reflected Government’s dedicated efforts to rebuild public trust and strengthen democratic engagement.
“This aligns with the engagement and re-engagement pillar of the NDS1, and contributes to attracting more funding for the country's development from the international community including Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),” said Professor Ncube.
Professor Ncube also said Zimbabwe ranked third in Sub-Saharan Africa, following South Africa and Benin, on the OBS.
“With a score of 63 out of 100 on the OBS, Zimbabwe joins the ranks of 33 other countries that scored between 61 and 80. Remarkably, Zimbabwe is among the top performers that have consistently improved their budget transparency between 2017 and 2023.
“The Survey measures the overall quality of the National Budget process, as well as the transparency and quality of consultations of the process,” he said.
Additionally Professor Ncube highlighted that in Southern African region, Zimbabwe had improved its ranking to 63 out of 100 in 2024.
“This latest ranking reflects an improvement from 59 out of 100 recorded in 2021, and positions Zimbabwe 18 points above the global average of 45 out of 100.
“The significant improvement in the OBS is testimony of the success being achieved in the country’s economic reforms under the Second Republic,” said Professor Ncube.
Economic commentator Mr Persistence Gwanyanya said the latest ranking for Zimbabwe was a step in the right direction in promoting investment into the country.
“Any improvement in independent ranking by outsiders is indeed welcome and positive in attracting international investors into our country,” he said.
Section 141 of the Constitution requires that Parliament facilitates public involvement in the National Budget process.
In recent years, Parliament has been conducting the National Budget consultations in selected parts of the country to promote transparency and accountability by gathering people’s views and aspirations on the National Budget.
