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Time to look again at accrual budgeting

Author

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  • OECD
  • Ken Warren

Abstract

A large number of countries are implementing accrual reporting to provide better accountability for the stewardship of public finances to their citizens. Far fewer nations have moved to an accrual basis for their government budgetary decisionmaking. Those few countries that have made the move do not regret doing so, having achieved significant benefits from that reform. This paper looks again at the benefits of accrual budgeting, at some of the major arguments that have impeded its international implementation, and how those issues have been addressed in the countries that have successfully adopted accrual budgeting. It suggests that the international public financial management community should revisit accrual budgeting, and that efforts to implement it should be redoubled, not because it is a panacea for all budgeting and fiscal problems, but rather because it provides a stable foundation for improving fiscal and budgetary decision-making and for providing fairer and more complete budgetary information to citizens. JEL Classification: H10, H11, H61, H83 Key words: Accrual budget, accrual report, fiscal management, fiscal performance, public finance, accountability

Suggested Citation

  • OECD & Ken Warren, 2015. "Time to look again at accrual budgeting," OECD Journal on Budgeting, OECD Publishing, vol. 14(3), pages 1-17.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:govkaa:5jrw6591hj6c
    DOI: 10.1787/budget-14-5jrw6591hj6c
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Newberry Susan, 2014. "The Use of Accrual Accounting in New Zealand’s Central Government: Second Thoughts," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 4(3), pages 283-297, December.
    2. Grant W. Walton & Husnia Hushang, 2021. "The politics of undermining national fee‐free education policy: Insights from Papua New Guinea," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 8(3), pages 401-419, September.
    3. Aquino, André Carlos Busanelli de & Batley, Richard A., 2022. "Pathways to hybridization: Assimilation and accommodation of public financial reforms in Brazil," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    4. Chadee, Xsitaaz T. & Clarke, Ricardo M., 2018. "Wind resources and the levelized cost of wind generated electricity in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2526-2540.
    5. Megan Carroll & David Torregrosa, 2019. "A Summary of Selected CBO Reports on Cash and Accrual Budgeting: Working Paper 2019-09," Working Papers 55672, Congressional Budget Office.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    accrual budget; accrual report; fiscal management; fiscal performance; public finance; accountability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H10 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - General
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • H61 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Budget; Budget Systems
    • H83 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Public Administration

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