14 • The Status of the Education Sector in Sudan
Figure O.5
Public Education Spending, by Administrative Level, 2000–09
constant 2008 SDG millions
3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500
09 20
08 20
07 20
06 20
05 20
04 20
02 20
20
00
0 year federal
state
Source: Authors’ estimates based on state ministry of education data collected in 2010.
EQUITY-ORIENTED EDUCATION SPENDING Education needs, which vary within and across states, should drive overall spending. Federal transfers are intended to redistribute resources so that all states are given equal opportunity to provide public services, including education, to their citizens.5 The rationale behind this decentralized service delivery system supports an environment conducive to addressing regional and social disparities by bringing the decisionmaking process and resources closer to the citizens. However, decentralization poses a challenge in terms of the varying capacities at the local level to raise revenues through taxes. In addition, decentralization presents a challenge in terms of reporting to and coordinating with the Federal Ministry of General Education, particularly when the roles and responsibilities of each level of government are not clearly defined. Federal resources are supposed to be allocated based on states’ financial performance, population size, natural resources, human resources, infrastructure, education status, security status, and per capita income where each component is assigned a weight (EU 2008). However, a lack of data does not allow confirmation that this formula is followed in all cases. Rather, discussions with the states indicate that transfers for education are primarily based on states’ existing payroll and obligations (last year’s budget plus a negotiated increment) (see EU 2008). Although this formula helps states honor their payroll obligations and keep existing