Government-by-Government Assessments: Mauritania
During the review period, the government made budget documents widely and easily accessible to the general public, including online. Information on debt obligations was limited, with debt obligations for state-owned enterprises available in companies’ financial reports. Budget documents provided a substantially complete picture of the government’s planned expenditures and revenue streams, including natural resource revenues. The information in budget documents was generally reliable. However, the government maintained some off-budget accounts not subject to adequate audit or oversight. The criteria and procedures by which the national government awards contracts or licenses for natural resource extraction were specified in law and regulation, but there have been reports of inconsistent application. Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was publicly available. The sovereign wealth fund did not disclose its source of funding and general approach to withdrawals. Mauritania’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:
- subjecting off-budget accounts to adequate audit and oversight;
- disclosing detailed debt obligations;
- ensuring the criteria and procedures used to award natural resource extraction contracts and licenses are consistent with the procedural requirements set by law or regulation; and
- disclosing the sovereign wealth fund’s source of funding and general approach to withdrawals.