BAGAC, Bataan, June 11 (PNA) — A global expert on fiscal management lauded the province of Bataan and said it is a regional leader in the extensive use of information for promoting fiscal transparency.
“Capitalizing on the power of information to reach the people and educate them on how the government spends is a trait that Bataan has been demonstrating,” Richard Parry, head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Centre for Tax Policy and Administration Global Relations, said in a press briefing.
“I’m very delighted to hear that Bataan is recognized with awards on fiscal transparency. Bataan is a leader on this,” he added.
One of the many awards that Bataan, under the leadership of Gov. Albert Garcia and his father, 2nd District Rep. Enrique, has received is the coveted Seal of Good Housekeeping by the Department of Interior and Local Government.
The citation aims to recognize local government units with good governance performance in internal housekeeping, particularly on the areas of Full Disclosure Policy and No Adverse Commission on Audit Findings.
“With the exchange of information, Bataan is improving its social contract with people and businesses. I’m looking forward to help Bataan more,” Parry furthered.
Provincial information officer Geoff Loyola said such acknowledgement can only spur Bataan to reach more people across the globe and promote Bataan its vision of being the preferred location for eco-industrial investments by year 2020.
The province has been maximizing the use of internet connectivity and social equate by launching the 1Bataan portal in 2013. It posts all the activities of the provincial government, including its financial reports.
“1Bataan is not only about information but it is also a symbol of unity. This is a challenge for us to develop more communications strategies to reach the people globally,” Loyola said.
According to Parry, the key solution for the Philippine government to deal with corruption and money laundering is by providing information to the people.
He stressed that having enough fiscal information and knowing how to deal with that information can be used to counter illicit activities in the government.
“Third way [to counter these activities] is to share this information. It is important for the Philippines to exchange information on transparency to compete with other countries,” Parry added.
OECD is a global think tank that promotes policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
It provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems.
They work with governments to understand what drives economic, social and environmental change. (PNA)