The Effect of Budget Transparency on Public Trust in the Regional Planning, Research, and Development Agency of North Central Timor Regency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31629/juan.v14i1.8183Keywords:
Budget Transparency, Public Trust, Good Governance, Local GovernmentAbstract
This study was conducted to examine the impact of budget transparency on public trust in the Public Accountability Agency for Planning, Research, and Innovation (BAPPERIDA) of North Central Timor Regency. Budget transparency is a cornerstone of good governance principles, emphasizing information openness, accountability, and public participation in development planning and financial management. In this context, public trust is crucial for the legitimacy, effectiveness, and success of local government administration. The background of this study is based on the fact that public access to budget information remains limited, and the level of public involvement in local budget planning and oversight is low. Although BAPPERIDA’s annual budget execution rate is relatively high, information transparency toward the public remains suboptimal, leading to low public trust. This study is quantitative in nature and employs an explanatory research design. Questionnaires were distributed to 96 BAPPERIDA members, and data were collected. After conducting validity and reliability tests on the instruments, data analysis was performed using simple linear regression with SPSS. Budget transparency, assessed based on the indicators of informativeness, openness, and disclosure of information, is closely related to public trust, which is measured through commitment, sincerity, honesty, competence, and fairness. The research findings indicate a positive and significant relationship between budget transparency and public trust, with a regression coefficient of 0.636 and a significance level of 0.000 (<0.05). This indicates that increased implementation of budget transparency will enhance public trust in BAPPERIDA. Therefore, budget transparency is a crucial element in fostering accountable, credible, and trustworthy local governance.
Downloads
References
Alessandro, M., Lagomarsino, B. C., Scartascini, C., Streb, J., & Torrealday, J. (2021). Transparency and trust in government: Evidence from a survey experiment. World Development, 138, 105223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105223
Alotaibi, E. M., Issa, H., & Codesso, M. (2025). Blockchain-based conceptual model for enhanced transparency in government records: A design science research approach. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 5(1), 100304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjimei.2024.100304
Ardanaz, M., Otálvaro-Ramírez, S., & Scartascini, C. (2023). Does information about citizen participation initiatives increase political trust? World Development, 162, 106132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106132
BAPELITBANGDA North Central Timor Regency. (2025). Budget data for the Regional Development Planning Agency of North Central Timor Regency, 2021–2024. BAPELITBANGDA North Central Timor Regency.
BAPELITBANGDA North Central Timor Regency. (2025). Budget transparency and public trust data for North Central Timor Regency, 2021–2023. BAPELITBANGDA North Central Timor Regency.
Barker, C., Pistrang, N., & Elliott, R. (2002). Research methods in clinical psychology: An introduction for students and practitioners (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Bernot, A., Tjondronegoro, D., Rifai, B., Hasan, R., Liew, A. W. C., Verhelst, T., & Tiwari, M. (2024). Institutional dimensions in open government data: A deep dive into Indonesia’s Satu Data initiative and its implications for developing countries. Public Performance & Management Review, 47(6), 1399–1429. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2024.2377609
Bisogno, M., & Cuadrado-Ballesteros, B. (2022). Budget transparency and governance quality: A cross-country analysis. Public Management Review, 24(10), 1610–1631. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2021.1916064
Brunnschweiler, C., Lujala, P., Putri, P., Scherzer, S., & Wardhani, I. (2025). When petroleum revenue transparency policy meets citizen engagement reality: Survey evidence from Indonesia. Ecological Economics, 230, 108529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108529
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Cuadrado-Ballesteros, B., & Bisogno, M. (2022). Budget transparency and financial sustainability. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 34(6), 210–234. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-02-2022-0025
Ferry, L., Eckersley, P., & Zakaria, Z. (2015). Accountability and transparency in English local government: Moving from “matching parts” to “awkward couple”? Financial Accountability & Management, 31(3), 345–361. https://doi.org/10.1111/faam.12060
Fox, J. A. (2015). Social accountability: What does the evidence really say? World Development, 72, 346–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.03.011
Gootjes, B., & de Haan, J. (2022). Do fiscal rules need budget transparency to be effective? European Journal of Political Economy, 75, 102210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2022.102210
Harrison, T. M., & Sayogo, D. S. (2014). Transparency, participation, and accountability practices in open government: A comparative study. Government Information Quarterly, 31(4), 513–525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2014.08.002
Khorana, S., Caram, S., & Rana, N. P. (2024). Measuring public procurement transparency with an index: Exploring the role of e-GP systems and institutions. Government Information Quarterly, 41(3), 101952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2024.101952
Mabillard, V. (2022). Trust in government: Assessing the impact of exposure to information in a local context. International Journal of Public Administration, 45(9), 687–696. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2020.1868505
Mabillard, V., & Zumofen, R. (2020). The complex relationship between transparency and trust in government: A review and research agenda. Public Policy and Administration, 35(4), 457–476. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952076719858691
Matheus, R., Faber, R., Ismagilova, E., & Janssen, M. (2023). Digital transparency and the usefulness for open government. International Journal of Information Management, 73, 102690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102690
Matheus, R., Janssen, M., & Janowski, T. (2021). Design principles for creating digital transparency in government. Government Information Quarterly, 38(1), 101550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2020.101550
Nukpezah, J. A., Ntow, M., & Ahmadu, A. S. (2025). Democracy, freedom, and budget transparency: A multinational analysis. Public Integrity, 27(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2024.2347078
Pratolo, S., Sofyani, H., & Maulidini, R. W. (2022). The roles of accountability and transparency on public trust in the village governments: The intervening role of COVID-19 handling services quality. Cogent Business & Management, 9(1), 2110648. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2022.2110648
Ripamonti, J. P. (2024). Does being informed about government transparency boost trust? Exploring an overlooked mechanism. Government Information Quarterly, 41(3), 101960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2024.101960
Schugurensky, D., & Mook, L. (2024). Participatory budgeting and local development: Impacts, challenges, and prospects. Local Development & Society, 5(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/26883597.2024.2391664
SMERU Research Institute. (2023). Survey on public participation in regional budget planning and oversight in North Central Timor Regency. SMERU Research Institute.
Song, C., & Lee, J. (2016). Citizens’ use of social media in government, perceived transparency, and trust in government. Public Performance & Management Review, 39(2), 430–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2015.1108798
Sugiyono, S. (2019). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Tejedo-Romero, F., Ferraz Esteves Araujo, J. F., Tejada, Á., & Ramírez, Y. (2022). E-government mechanisms to enhance the participation of citizens and society: Exploratory analysis through the dimension of municipalities. Technology in Society, 70, 101978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101978
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Eduard Sandhyko Nitsae, Detson Ray Halomoan Sitorus, Marthen Patiung, Aplonia Pala

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.











