VZCZCXRO6413
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHWN #0200 0911337
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011337Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7271
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL
RUEHCV/USDAO CARACAS VE

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE: FOR EEB/IFD/OMA 
JULIA JACOBY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PREL XL
SUBJECT: FISCAL TRANSPARENCY IN BARBADOS 
 
REF: STATE 28885 
 
¶1.  (U) This cable responds to reftel request for information 
on fiscal transparency in Barbados.  Responses are keyed to 
reftel questions. 
 
-- Is the central government expected to receive or is it 
already receiving U.S. foreign assistance funded using FY 09 
funds? 
 
Barbados benefits from some regional programs for the Eastern 
Caribbean funded out of USAID's Eastern Caribbean program, as 
well as a few targeted bilateral programs, but these funds 
are not provided directly to the central government. 
Although USAID is active in the region, it currently does not 
fund programs supporting fiscal transparency or good 
governance.  The Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance 
Centre (CARTAC) is available to 19 Caribbean countries to 
assist these countries to achieve their macroeconomic, 
fiscal, and monetary policy objectives.  This program 
operates as a UNDP project with the IMF serving as the 
executive agency.  It is funded by the Canadian International 
Development Agency, the Inter-American Development Bank, 
Ireland, the IMF, and the UK Department for International 
Development, the UNDP, the EU, and the World Bank. 
 
-- Is the host country's budget publicly available? 
 
The Government of Barbados practices fiscal transparency by 
making its national budget publicly available on an annual 
basis.  The government does this by announcing the budget in 
an open forum of parliament annually and doing a budgetary 
review in parliament at the end of the fiscal year.  Also, 
the budget is open for public scrutiny through its budgetary 
offices, and available on the government website.  The 
publicly-available data are generally accurate and meaningful 
and include all revenues and expenditures. 
 
-- Are incomes and expenditures included in the publicly 
available budget? 
 
Yes, The relevant laws governing fiscal transparency in 
Barbados have been entered into force in Chapter Nine of the 
Constitution at independence, in the form of a "Chapter on 
Finance of the Constitution with Authorization of Expenditure 
from Consolidated Fund by appropriation and Authorization by 
Expenditure in advance of appropriation."  The Constitution 
went into effect on 30th November, 1966. Barbados updated 
their laws by promulgating "The Financial Administration and 
Audit, (Financial Rules)" in 1971.  These rules were last 
updated in November, 2007. These laws are adequate and are 
actively implemented. 
HARDT