Impacts of public participation on public budgeting process of Kurdistan

This study examines the relationship between approaches of public participation and capital budgeting process. The objective of this study is to determine factors that have caused the lack of public deliberation in Kurdistan budgeting system. It also aims to identify the impacts of deliberation, communication, and information in capital budgeting process. The study administered 465 questionnaires and interviewed 11 budget experts and government officials. The correlation coefficient and regression analysis used to examine relationships. The findings indicated strong positive correlations between deliberation, communication, information and capital budgeting process. The regression analyses demonstrated a unique significant contribution of public participation in capital budgeting process. This study revealed the leading factors that caused lack of deliberation embraces money shortages, political parties interference, corruption, weakness of civil society organizations, lack of trust, and the deployment of classical financial system. The study also revealed that budget communication effectively stimulates capital budgeting process. Additionally, access to budget information promotes good governance, minimizes corruption and the misuse of public budget. It also facilitates the implementations of other participatory approaches and creates an informed and active citizenry. To alleviate public dissatisfaction, service problems, corruption, illegitimate budget decisions, and the misuse of public budget, the Kurdistan government must involve citizens in decisions making through informed, deliberative, and consultative programs. This study becomes a notable policy implication to improve Kurdistan budgeting system.