Online Reporter
Prosper Ndlovu [email protected]
ZIMBABWE has once again recorded a strong performance in the 2025 Open Budget Survey (OBS), reaffirming the country’s commitment to transparency, accountability and sound public financial management.
Conducted every two years by the International Budget Partnership (IBP), the Open Budget Survey is the world’s leading independent assessment of budget transparency, public participation, and oversight.
It measures countries’ performance across three pillars – Budget Transparency, Public Participation, and Budget Oversight.
In a press statement issued today (Wednesday), Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, said the 2025 results, launched on 3 June 2025 under the theme: “Accountability at a Crossroads: Open Budget Survey 2025 Findings for Sub-Saharan Africa”, show that Zimbabwe scored 62 out of 100 on the Open Budget Index (OBI), well above the Sub-Saharan
African average of 38 out of 100 and above the international benchmark for adequate public access to budget information.
“Zimbabwe is ranked third in Sub-Saharan Africa, behind South Africa and Benin, and second in the SADC region, confirming its position among Africa’s leading performers in budget transparency,” said Prof Ncube.
“This achievement reflects Government’s continued efforts to strengthen fiscal transparency, improve public access to budget information and implement public financial management reforms under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.
Prof Ncube said the Government acknowledges the contributions of the Treasury, Parliament of Zimbabwe, UNICEF, Office of the Auditor-General, and the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in advancing the public financial management term agenda.
While significant progress has been made in transparency and oversight, he said the Government remains focused on strengthening public participation.
“In this regard, the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion and Parliament of Zimbabwe will conduct nationwide budget consultation meetings from July to December 2026 as part of preparations for the 2027 National Budget,” he said.
“These consultations will provide citizens, civil society organisations, youth, women, and persons with disabilities, business representatives and other stakeholders with meaningful opportunities to contribute to the budget process.
“Government remains committed to further enhancing budget transparency, expanding citizen-friendly budget information, strengthening oversight mechanisms and institutionalising public participation throughout the budget cycle,” said Prof Ncube.
He paid tribute to all stakeholders supporting Zimbabwe’s public financial management reforms and encouraged citizens to actively participate in the forthcoming budget consultations.
