Journalists to be trained in budget reporting

As a measure towards creating public awareness on national budgets, CLADHO-an umbrella of Civil Society Organizations, has come up with a strategy to build the capacity of the media on the issue. The officer in charge of public policy advocacy which falls under CLADHO`s budget information programme, Alexis Floris Nkurunziza, told Sunday Times that focus will be on reporters specifically in the field of budget reporting. He made the remarks while addressing journalists in preparation for the launch of a ‘Citizen guide to national budget’-an initiative aimed at simplifying understanding of national budget and other related issues. “We want to make sure that our media plays a significant role in informing or educating the public about the national budget and this will also enable Rwandans take part or have an input so that when the government is planning, it considers their ideas or needs,” Nkurunziza said. CLADHO`s records indicate that according to a research conducted in 2008, 87 percent of the population are uninformed about the national budget. “The mentalities of most of the people who were interviewed during the research believe that a national budget is only a government concern or responsibility,” he said. Journalists welcomed the idea saying this will also bring about comprehensive reporting about the budget. During the meeting, it was noted that the media only reports about the national budget a few days to and shortly after reading it, calling upon media houses to also consider budget education a priority. Ends