ADVISORY/Pathbreaking Study on Budget Transparency in Latin America; Ten-Country Survey Finds Poor Results, Especially in Citizen Participation.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...for Wednesday (Nov. 12)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

TO BE HELD:
Wednesday, November 12, 2003,
11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. (ET)

Report is embargoed for media coverage until:
November 12, 2003 at 11:00 a.m. (ET)

The International Budget Project will host conference call briefings on Wednesday, November 12 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (ET) to release and discuss a major new study comparing budget transparency and citizen participation in the budget process in ten Latin American countries. The new transparency study, only the second ever conducted for Latin America, is far more extensive than the earlier effort.

The 11 a.m. (ET) call features Virginia Lencina, Poder Ciudadano (Citizen Power), Argentina and Juana Sotomayor, Center for Economic and Social Rights, Ecuador. The 2:00 p.m. (ET) call features Eduardo Moron and Tamiko Hasegawa, University of the Pacific, Peru and Ana Quiros, Center for Information and Advisory Services on Health, Nicaragua Briseida Lavielle, Fundar, Mexico. Both calls will be in English and Spanish and moderated by Pamela Gomez of the International Budget Project.

The study raises serious concerns in a number of areas, including the widespread perception that citizens have little voice in how their tax dollars are spent. The transparency scores ranged from a high of 61.7 to a low of 30.6 out of a possible 100.

The study, "Latin American Index of Budget Transparency 2003," covers Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. It was conducted by a consortium of leading Latin American academics and non-governmental researchers (listed below) and coordinated by Fundar, a prominent Mexican NGO. supported the project.

Researchers surveyed legislators, academics and other experts, journalists, and civil society organizations on a broad range of issues related to access to budget information, the willingness of officials to seek input from citizens on budgeting decisions, and the credibility of important institutions such as internal and external auditors.

The study and individual fact sheets for each of the ten countries are embargoed for release November 12 at 11 a.m. (ET). They will be available in English and Spanish on http://www.internationalbudget.org at that time.

To participate in the conference call, please register on-line at http://www.cbpp.org/budgetcall.htm. You may also contact Michelle Bazie at [e-mail] or 202-408-1080.

Participating Groups:

-- Poder Ciudadano (Citizen Power), Buenos Aires, Argentina

-- Brazilian Institute for Social Analysis and Economics (IBASE),

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

-- Department of Economics, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

-- Foundation for Support to Cooperative Enterprises (CORFAS),

Bogota, Colombia

-- University of Costa Rica, State of the Nation Program, San

Jose, Costa Rica

-- Arias Foundation, San Jose, Costa Rica

-- Center for Economic and Social Rights (CDES), Quito, Ecuador

-- Probidad (Integrity), San Salvador, El Salvador

-- Berumen and Associates, Mexico City, Mexico

-- Center for Economic Research and Education (CIDE), Mexico

City, Mexico

-- Fundar Center for Analysis and Research, Mexico City, Mexico

-- Center for Information and Advisory Services on Health

(CISAS), Managua, Nicaragua

-- Civil Coordinator, Managua, Nicaragua

-- The Fundemos Group, Managua, Nicaragua

-- Research Center of the University of the Pacific Lima, Peru