Al-Zantouti Writes: “The State Budget Between Capping, Labeling, and a Comprehensive Vision — and the Absence of Will to Combat Corruption and Mismanagement”

Written by financial analyst Khaled Al-Zantouti:

With all due respect to every viewpoint, a budget by definition implies capping—each expenditure item listed in the budget is inherently limited to a specific amount. Likewise, all items in the budget are labeled—meaning they are devoted to a particular purpose.

In emergencies, there are reserves that can be tapped, and deviations are permissible within certain limits, etc. These are basic, well-established principles of budget preparation, and thanks are due to those who helped clarify them.

Of course, any state budget must be prepared within the framework of a comprehensive economic vision and strategy aimed at achieving defined goals. “Management by objectives” is one of the methods often used in budget preparation. Again, appreciation goes to those who have highlighted this point.

In short:
We can prepare our budgets according to scientifically recognized theoretical concepts and the latest descriptive and quantitative models—even with the help of artificial intelligence. This is entirely possible.

But the real problem lies in the absence of a sincere national will to prepare and implement these budgets transparently on the ground.
The true crisis is that many—whether in legislative or executive authority—seek to manipulate the budget to serve their own narrow interests through regional and factional favoritism, often bypassing procedures (and at times even the law).
It’s a case where appearances suggest legitimacy, but the underlying intent is corrupt.

Worse still, we’ve seen a severe disruption of the budget preparation process, with changes to its traditional format and procedures—sometimes in open violation of the law.

While I respect the good intentions of some officials—whether in the East, West, or South—goodwill does not justify violating laws and established procedures.
Yes, there is such a thing as the Contingency Approach in decision-making, but even that must occur within legal boundaries.

Our tragedy—and I’m not generalizing—is that we call for fair distribution of the state’s budget across the country’s regions (a legitimate right), but the real hidden goal is often to seize the largest share of the “loot” through the gears of corruption and its many methods.
This is when the whole “camel is sold with its load,” so to speak—and again, I’m not generalizing.

Therefore, the solution starts with the existence of a true national will to eradicate corruption and initiate structural administrative reform.

It’s not just about capping and labeling the budget or formulating a comprehensive economic vision.

Our national duty is to eliminate all forms of corruption and mismanagement in the implementation of this budget.

Only then can we genuinely speak of budget capping and labeling within a comprehensive economic framework.

Otherwise—sadly—corruption and mismanagement will devour the entire budget, along with its caps, labels, and even its visionary goals.

May God support the honest, wherever they may be—in legislative or executive positions.