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City of Harare finally releases financial data after lawyers intervene
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
October 10, 2012

On Monday, we reported that we had engaged lawyers to push City of Harare to release financial data which we had requested in six different letters but to no avail . This was necessitated by the continued reluctance by the City technocrats in releasing the documents that we had requested. Yesterday, City of Harare sent in three documents i.e. 2010-12 City budget proposed figures and final expenditure figures as well. CHRA has received these documents and is now doing an analysis what the figures mean. CHRA has notified the City of Harare that the information supplied is HIGHLY INADEQUATE, conceals critical detail and will NOT be sufficient for an effective evaluation. We have since written a new communication to the City to release more accurate information.

In particular CHRA needs 2010-2012 initial, final appropriations and actual expenditures. The budget information must be properly classified, that is, it must show administrative, economic and functional classification. This classification is international best practice of budget presentation that reveals critical spending and budgeting patterns. The need to evaluate financial performance comes as a principle of public management and the need to create a social accountability system in which stakeholders of a local government or central government can assess whether taxes or rates being paid are being put to good use and the results of the evaluation can be used in policy recommendations and participatory budget sessions.

CHRA is now in possession of the aforementioned data and would like to encourage those interested in the information that we have to either write to us or call our office and the information will be made available to you. Meanwhile we have submitted the reports to a public finance consultant who will do the data evaluation to see whether the City is operating on the right track.

The Association would like to encourage all public entities that sit on information which is supposed to be for public consumption to constantly release such data as it promotes a culture of transparency and accountability.

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