Does participatory budgeting help to reduce corruption?
Yes, in particular when there are citizen-based oversight mechanisms for the execution of the budget and of the respective works. The presence of the commissions of the Participatory Budget Council at the time of inviting bids for given projects greatly reduces the chance for bribery by businesses and/or public officials. Accountability on the part of the municipality and the publication of accounts avoid a non-transparent use of resources. These and similar measures also avoid, during the phase of designing the “budget matrix”, clientelism and the distribution of favours which some council members are known to practice. In this sense, they can be useful even in the European context. The Participatory Budget reinforces transparency by sharing budgetary information and requiring accountability to the public on the part of government officials or PB delegates. These mechanisms generate trust and improve the quality of governance in the city.
