Government-by-Government Assessments: Bangladesh
During the review period, the government made its executive budget proposal and enacted budget publicly available, including online. It did not make its end-of-year report publicly available within a reasonable period. Information in the budget was considered generally reliable, although budget documents were not prepared according to internationally accepted principles. Information on debt obligations was publicly available. Budget documents provided a reasonably complete picture of the government’s planned expenditures and revenue, including natural resource revenues. However, the government did not break down expenditures to support executive offices. Publicly available budget documents included financial allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises. Information on debt obligations was publicly available. The government’s supreme audit institution reviewed the government’s accounts, but its reports did not contain substantive findings and were not made publicly available within a reasonable period. The supreme audit institution did not meet international standards of independence. The government specified in law or regulation and appeared to follow in practice the criteria and procedures for awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licenses. Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was not consistently made publicly available.
Bangladesh’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:
- Making its end-of-year report publicly available within a reasonable period;
- Preparing budget documents according to internationally accepted principles;
- Breaking down expenditures to support executive offices in the budget;
- Ensuring the supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence and has sufficient resources;
- Publishing timely audit reports that contain substantive findings, recommendations, and narratives; and
- Making basic information about natural resource extraction awards publicly available.