SoldiPubblici, an open data portal providing the public with information on Italian government expenditure, has been acknowledged as a "star" commitment by the Open Government Partnership (OGP). In the evaluation report 'Star Reforms in the Open Government Partnership' star status is given to a selection of commitments from OGP Action Plans to which the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) awarded star status in their latest reporting cycle. These showcases represent exemplary reforms that have a potentially transformative impact on citizens in the country of implementation.
Following the money
The SoldiPubblici website publishes information on public expenditure from all central and local government agencies on an open data platform, offering citizens a window into how funds are spent,
the authors of the report state. Cash transactions, payments, and collections made by every public administration treasurer are accessible through the online platform. Making the data publicly searchable gives citizens a powerful tool to follow the money and to identify misuse of public funds.
Strengthening fiscal transparency through the SoldiPubblici website can rebuild public trust by showing citizens how the government conducts business. When complemented with the establishment of an active community of users, the online platform becomes a powerful monitoring and oversight mechanism to bolster government accountability. For example, it could allow civil society advocates to track specific payments to electronic invoices, public contracts, and individuals, with the goal of uncovering fraud, waste, and corruption.
Other star commitments
Other countries from which OGP commitments were awarded star status are Ukraine, Ireland, Mongolia, Romania, the US, Chile, the UK, Georgia, Canada, Bulgaria and Paraguay.
