Such openness, and making available required information to the populace, will reduce the scope for misuse of resources and enhance public capacity for holding governments to account. One of the crucial areas highlighted for attention in this regard is the budget. It is through the budget that the management of national resources is mainly implemented and the absence of transparency in budgeting processes can engender corruption, inefficiency and inequity, and compromise the provision of public services and the development effort. Particular focus is advised on public procurement. The use of open tender processes, publication of relevant information regarding award of contracts, easily accessible complaints procedures when foul pay is suspected, are among the crucial considerations for ensuring good governance in public financial management. Similar approaches should be adopted in the management of revenues accruing from natural resources such as oil and other mineral wealth, forestry and fisheries resources. The contracts signed with foreign partners for the exploitation of these resources, the revenues  2  BIS Review 109/2007  accruing there from and the uses to which they are put should be readily accessible to the populace. Absence of transparency in these matters creates breeding houses for conclusion of arrangements which may not be of general national benefit, encourage misappropriation and exploitation of national resources in the interest of an elite minority, with a potential in the long run of threatening national cohesiveness and precipitating instability.

This pact reasserts the commitment of the government to good governance and it sets out a number of activities to be pursued through July 2007 in ten key areas. These include efforts related to: free and fair elections, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, procurement, the Office of the AuditorGeneral, civil service reform, decentralisation and the role of non-state actors (notably the private sector and civil society), the creation of a more conducive investment environment, implementation of the extractive industries transparency initiative and better public service delivery in health and education. The Pact also commits the four budget support donors to further harmonisation around the government’s programme”. Enforcement of the governance agenda is consequently exercised by the donor community through inclusion of governance requirements in the programmes of assistance agreed with the country; establishing them as conditionalities and trigger requirements for release of funds; providing technical assistance to ensure the performance of these elements of the programme, including provision of personnel in some cases. We may note in passing that action on all these requirements is in progress and the related programmes are in varying stages of implementation. Civil society is also becoming increasingly important in trying to put pressure on government to deliver on governance issues. In the Sierra Leone context, special mention may be made of the Campaign for Good Governance, the Civil Societies Organisation, the 50/50 Group, the Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA) and other bodies. A recently established chapter of the Institute of Directors pays particular attention to the improvement of corporate governance.