I seem to be returning to this issue more and more often.
Australia has in the past year just established a Parliamentary Budget Office, charged with "providing independent and non-partisan analysis of the budget cycle, fiscal policy and the financial implications of proposals."
Why can’t we have one?
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Yes, one for Malaysia would be great. All sides including think-tanks with different agenda would give different cost-benefit analyses on the same thing. Being independent is the key. The US has had Government Accountability Office (GAO) since 1920s: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Accountability_Office
ReplyDeleteIlmu DiAlam Maya Tak ada Gunanya.
DeleteWhich Country are you all living in?
Independent? Non Partisan?
Such words have no meaning or do not exist in Malaysia!
We are struggling to get judges to be independent and Non Partisan (note the comments from the Judge on MACC panel)!
Much less others...The Media? Defines Independence and Non Partisan in Malaysia
@anon 8.24
DeleteIf we don not try, we'll never know. If we do not strive, we'll never achieve.
An independent fiscal assessment might be a pipe-dream, but its still an idea worth pursuing, and much better than not having one at all.
@Ilmu Adalah Kuasa
Actually I was thinking more along the lines of the CBO. But the idea is the same.
If we want one, someone in parliament should speak up and propose the idea. The fact that neither side has come forward to even discuss the idea shows their insincerity in wanting to have a non-partisan view of the budget and fiscal cycle.
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