A national workshop focusing on budget transparency and parliamentary engagement convened over 20 Pakistani parliamentarians, governance experts, and key stakeholders to discuss ways of improving fiscal oversight and public trust in the country’s budgeting process. The two-day event, organized by the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), provided a valuable forum for legislators from the National Assembly, Senate, and all four provincial assemblies to share experiences and best practices.
Participants engaged in peer learning sessions where they discussed recent challenges and successes in budget debates, highlighting difficulties faced during parliamentary deliberations and examining effective strategies for fiscal oversight. A central theme was the importance of integrating local constituency priorities into national and provincial budget decisions, ensuring that resources are distributed more equitably and reflecting the needs of citizens across Pakistan.
The workshop also explored the complexities of fiscal federalism, including the National Finance Commission (NFC) and Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) awards, focusing on approaches to strengthen equitable resource allocation among regions. Prominent experts, such as Mukhtar Ahmed Ali, Executive Director of CPDI, and Usama Khawar Ghumman, contributed insights on transparency measures and parliamentary reforms.
Honourable parliamentarians actively participated in discussions, culminating in the adoption of actionable recommendations. These included enhancing the quality of budget debates, promoting greater transparency in the budget process, and encouraging more effective citizen engagement to foster trust in public financial management in Pakistan.
