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Traditionally, most issues relating to public finance, particularly those associated with budget-related resource allocation and expenditure, have been shrouded in secrecy. This is because they were the preserve of reticent governments averse to sharing information about budgets with citizens, and more so, allowing minority stakeholder citizens to have any say on them. The result was that stakeholder needs were not adequately reflected in budgets. Today, the situation is changing. And the silent revolution against this disconnect between citizens and governments gained forceful impetus after trends in decentralization and progressive governance were initiated in the nineties. Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have added to this momentum. They have taken up the cause of these minority stakeholders and formed Budget Groups and are today interacting successfully with local governments through Participatory Budgets (PBs) on budget-related issues. This book talks about the incredible progress made on the participatory budget front. It gives valuable insights into the participatory model of gender budgets, children’s budgets, social audits, the role of Information Technology and the media in participatory budgeting, the challenges and future needs of PB, and also highlights PB outcomes in different countries such as Porto Alegre, Uganda, Tanzania, India, North America, the UK etc., right up to some recent cases that were in focus between 2005-2008. It is a comprehensive research-based study of contemporary participatory budgeting trends that looks into the future of a revolution which will change the course towards greater citizen-centricity. This book will be of great interest to finance ministry and other government officials, political leaders, government departments, particularly those in public administration and public finance, economists, NGOs, CSOs, faculty and students of public administration. ISBN - 9788131415597
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