World Bank to fund Tanzania financial clean-up

WARM GREETING: President Kikwete being welcomed by Dongier during a World Bank sponsored event. In the centre is Sri Mulyani, the Managing Director of the World Bank. (COURTESY PHOTO)

By Leonard Magomba
Monday, June 29, 2015

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DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – The World Bank has approved $100 million for Tanzania to help increase transparency and accountability in governance as well as improve public financial management.

“Such improvements can enable better delivery of health, education, and water supply services,” Philippe Dongier, the World Bank Country Director for Tanzania said.

The First Open Government and Public Financial Management Development Policy Operation (OGPFM) financed by a $100 million International Development Association (IDA) credit is the first of its kind in Tanzania and part of a series of operations to strengthen transparency and accountability in public resource management and foster open governance.

“The financing approved today shows the World Bank’s commitment to support Tanzania’s efforts for a more open government, greater transparency, as well as in improving public finance resource flows to improve delivery of services to the people, especially the poorest,” Dongier said.

Tanzania’s Development Vision 2025, which sets forth the country’s path to becoming a middle income country, adopted a new results delivery model known as the ‘Big Results Now’ to ensure that programs are implemented on time with a focus on the citizens and their participation in decision-making.

In support of this initiative, the OGPFM aims to create an environment where the gains from better governance can be translated into better service delivery through the introduction of a more transparent monitoring system and improved public financial management.

“The OGPFM will help to leverage the performance and transparency of the public sector in service delivery while enhancing citizen information and participation in decision making,” said Chiara Bronchi, the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project.

Bronchi said the program proposes an innovative approach that will balance traditional public finance management reforms with a new focus on Open Data and transparency.

The series of policy-based budget support operations will focus specifically on education, water, and health and includes a complementary technical assistance program on open data.

The OGPFM program will promote key policy reforms that help enhance budget credibility and execution through better cash management, public investment management and procurement in order to improve the delivery of key services.

The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives.

IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change for 2.8 billion people, the majority of whom live on less than $2 a day.

Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 50% going to Africa.

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