Government-by-Government Assessments: Lesotho
During the review period, the government did not make its enacted budget proposal or end-of-year report publicly available online within a reasonable amount of time. Information on debt obligations was not publicly available. Budget documents provided a mostly complete picture of the government’s planned expenditures and revenue streams, including natural resource revenues. According to budget executive reports and end-of-year reports, actual revenues and expenditures did not reasonably correspond to those in the enacted budget. Information regarding off-budget accounts and expenditures to support executive offices were not publicly available. The supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence and reviewed the government’s accounts. However, its audit did not cover the entire annual executed budget and it did not make its reports publicly available 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. The government appeared to follow applicable laws and regulations in practice. Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was not publicly available. Lesotho’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:
- timely publishing its enacted budget, executive budget proposal, and end-of-year report online;
- making updated information on debt obligations publicly available;
- ensuring actual revenues and expenditures correspond with those in the enacted budget;
- making expenditures to support executive offices publicly available;
- ensuring off-budget accounts are subject to adequate audit and oversight;
- ensuring audit reports cover the entire annual executed budget;
- ensuring the supreme audit institution publishes its reports within a reasonable period of time; and
- making basic information on natural resource extraction publicly available.