An Analysis Of The Participation Of Citizens In Budgeting Process In Local Government In Tanzania: The Case Of Ngara District Council
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Mzumbe University
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A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Administrative Studies (DAS) DCC
for Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of the Award of the Masters Degree of
Public Administration (MPA) of Mzumbe University.
This research analysed the participation of citizens in budgeting process in local government in Tanzania a case of Ngara District Council in Kagera region. It was conducted in Ngara to a total of 145 respondents where 103 were ordinary citizens, and 42 were government officials namely 3 representatives of planning department, 2 representatives from the community development department, 7 ward Executive officers, 14 village executive officers and 16 village chairpersons. The findings from this research indicated that 92% of all respondents do not know how the budget process of the village as well as local government is prepared and 86% have never participated in budget formulation at village level. The findings indicate that there is a diversion from the process proposed by the guiding documents including the guidelines from the ministry of finance and the actual process done by the local government officials which exclude direct citizens’ participation in the budgeting process for local government in Tanzania. The research have determined factors that hinder citizens’ participation in budgetary process that include formation of TUKI committee made by people between 4 to 6 have confiscated citizens constitutional rights to participate directly in the budget formulation at village level. Another reason is the limited resources that in the local government which makes it difficult to pay allowance for the days facilitators are in the process of formulating the budget for the village. The research has made recommendations for improving citizens’ participation at village level where citizens can have direct participation in the budget. The recommendations are focusing government, non state actors who can undertake some interventions that can improve citizens’ participation in budgeting process. The research concludes by suggesting further areas where study on citizens’ participation in budgeting process can be conducted.
This research analysed the participation of citizens in budgeting process in local government in Tanzania a case of Ngara District Council in Kagera region. It was conducted in Ngara to a total of 145 respondents where 103 were ordinary citizens, and 42 were government officials namely 3 representatives of planning department, 2 representatives from the community development department, 7 ward Executive officers, 14 village executive officers and 16 village chairpersons. The findings from this research indicated that 92% of all respondents do not know how the budget process of the village as well as local government is prepared and 86% have never participated in budget formulation at village level. The findings indicate that there is a diversion from the process proposed by the guiding documents including the guidelines from the ministry of finance and the actual process done by the local government officials which exclude direct citizens’ participation in the budgeting process for local government in Tanzania. The research have determined factors that hinder citizens’ participation in budgetary process that include formation of TUKI committee made by people between 4 to 6 have confiscated citizens constitutional rights to participate directly in the budget formulation at village level. Another reason is the limited resources that in the local government which makes it difficult to pay allowance for the days facilitators are in the process of formulating the budget for the village. The research has made recommendations for improving citizens’ participation at village level where citizens can have direct participation in the budget. The recommendations are focusing government, non state actors who can undertake some interventions that can improve citizens’ participation in budgeting process. The research concludes by suggesting further areas where study on citizens’ participation in budgeting process can be conducted.