The Budget Working Group is a national coalition of civil society organisations working on the budget transparency and accountability in Cambodia. Together, we advocate for access to budget information and democratic participation in the budget process. We also exchange budget related information, analyse and discuss critical issues related to the national budget.

API led the CSO Budget Working Group

• API was elected chair of the Budget Working Group for the 2022-23 mandate. Also from this position, it influenced the draft on public procurement by presenting results of the legal framework for public procurement transparency and its enforcement in the Kingdom of Cambodia to the leadership of the Ministry of Economic and Finance, Secretary of State, director general and senior officials before the public procurement law was passed in 2023.

• API provided legal inputs to the government based on international key procurement principles such as Transparency, Integrity, Economy, Efficiency and Value for Money, Openness, Fairness, and MoEF accepted four recommendations from API. For instance, the draft PPL should specify the publicity of these procedures. The entire procurement process should be transparent. This also includes the contracts signed between the procuring entity and the awarded tenderer.

• API engaged with the government and the CSOs BWG and positively responded to some CSOs’ inputs on public financial management reforms policy dialogues based on the results of Budget Working Group meetings monthly, sub-national, and annual national budget analysis report 2023.

• API provided advice to Development Partners, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and other government The CSO Budget Working Group (BWG) has as its mission to provide an institutionalised budget advisory platform to analyse, discuss and advocate on transparent, accountable, and inclusive national and sub-national budget decision-making and budget implementation and monitoring processes.

• API updated the First Citizen Budget Report for Cambodia 2023 and launched it with the participation of local authorities and CBO leaders in target provinces and development partners, CSOs, and government ministries.

• The BWG produced Universal Periodic Review Report on Anti-Corruption 2023 and submitted it to the UN HQ.