Government-by-Government Assessments: Belize
During the review period, the government made its enacted budget, end-of-year report, and information on debt obligations widely accessible to the general public, including online. However, it did not publish an executive budget proposal within a reasonable period of time. Information on debt obligations, except for state-owned enterprise debt not guaranteed by the government, were widely and easily accessible to the public, including online. Publicly available budget documents provided a substantially complete picture of the government’s planned expenditures and revenue streams, including natural resource revenues. Budget information was generally reliable. Belize’s supreme audit institution did not publish audit reports within a reasonable period of time. The criteria and procedures by which the national government awards contracts or licenses for natural resource extraction were specified in law and generally appeared to be followed in practice. Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was publicly available. Belize’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:
- publishing its executive budget proposal within a reasonable period of time; and
- ensuring the supreme audit institution audits the government’s executed budget and makes audit reports publicly available within a reasonable period of time.