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MAPUTO, Mozambique, 28 June 2012 - The Foundation for Community Development (FDC) and UNICEF, in partnership with ROSC, launched the 2012 Budget Briefs on June 26. The briefs are a series of budget analysis documents that, among other things, highlight how the state budget is being allocated across key social sectors (e.g., Health, Education, Social Action and Water and Sanitation). The rationale behind the budget briefs is that they facilitate investment in key social sectors that help the most vulnerable groups in the population, including children and women. The 2012 budget briefs include an analysis of the increasing capability of the Government to mobilize domestic resources through the reforms carried out under the revenues authority. Fiscal space has expanded through the contribution from small and medium sized companies, as well as through the informal sector and, more recently, through so-called mega projects.

The launch event was attended by journalists, civil society organizations, development partners and Government officials. The session was led by FDC Executive Director Dr. Narciso Matos, along with FDC Gender and Children Issues Coordinator Marta Cumbi, ROSC Coordinator Albino Francisco and UNICEF Policy Officer, Hélder Machango. In his opening address, Dr. Matos stated that "one of the key methods to understand what the Government is prioritizing is to follow where the money goes". The distribution of the state budget among social sectors and across provinces, the absorptive capacity of the sectors, Government commitments to decentralize resources to lower levels and the Government's capacity to manage scarce resources efficiently were the main themes that dominated the debate. This is the fifth year in a row that FDC and UNICEF produce the budget briefs.