Government Spending Transparency
American senator and current Presidential hopeful Barack Obama introduced the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. What’s it about and why is it so special, you ask? I quote its purpose from the site set up as a result of the act itself:
To provide the public with information about how their tax dollars are spent. Citizens have a right and need to understand where tax dollars are spent. Collecting data about the various types of contracts, grants, loans, and other types of spending in our government will provide a broader picture of and much needed transparency to the Federal spending processes. The ability to look at contracts, grants, loans, and other types of spending across many agencies, in greater detail, is a key ingredient to building public trust in government and credibility in the professionals who use these agreements.
In detail, the most crucial part of the act is:
Not later than January 1, 2008, the Office of Management and Budget shall, in accordance with this section, section 204 of the E-Government Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–347; 44 U.S.C. 3501 note), and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403 et seq.), ensure the existence and operation of a single searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each Federal award—
- the name of the entity receiving the award;
- the amount of the award;
- information on the award including transaction type, funding agency, the North American Industry Classification System code or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number (where applicable), program source, and an award title descriptive of the purpose of each funding action;
- the location of the entity receiving the award and the primary location of performance under the award, including the city, State, congressional district, and country;
- a unique identifier of the entity receiving the award and of the parent entity of the recipient, should the entity be owned by another entity; and
- any other relevant information specified by the Office of Management and Budget.
If the Malaysian government were really serious about transparency and curbing corruption, I think this would be one of the first things to be looked at. Such check and balance mechanisms are surely required to control the atrocious spending of our government.
Barisan Nasional, the ball is in your court.
