IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pfq/journl/v65y2020i2p245-262.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Public Sector Accounting Reform of 2014 in the Light the Experiences of the Local Governments — A Pilot Project to Explore the Problems

Author

Listed:
  • Tóth, Balázs

Abstract

The renewal of public finance accounting in 2014 can be labelled as one of the greatest changes in the Hungarian public sector. The accounting information system used previously had significant shortcomings, which ultimately led to disruptions in the operation of the local government system and its indebtedness. The aim of the research is to explore the experience of the local governments regarding the process of the introduction of the accounting reform and the emerging system. In the research, interviews and small group sessions were conducted with 18 experts from 8 institutions. Based on what was said, the transitional period was a turbulent process, and compliance with the new regulation tested the adaptability of local governments. The opinions regarding the new system are heterogeneous. According to the involved experts, the new approach can provide a more true and fair view and present up-to-date information about the given organisational unit. However, the introduction of the new system was not fully successful as the new system proved to be more complex and more difficult to handle. In addition, it was also revealed that in most cases the data of the accounting information system fail to fulfil their intended purpose in financial management.

Suggested Citation

  • Tóth, Balázs, 2020. "The Public Sector Accounting Reform of 2014 in the Light the Experiences of the Local Governments — A Pilot Project to Explore the Problems," Public Finance Quarterly, Corvinus University of Budapest, vol. 65(2), pages 245-262.
    • Handle: RePEc:pfq:journl:v:65:y:2020:i:2:p:245-262
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.35551/PFQ_2020_2_6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://unipub.lib.uni-corvinus.hu/8662/
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/https://doi.org/10.35551/PFQ_2020_2_6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michela Arnaboldi & Irvine Lapsley, 2009. "On the Implementation of Accrual Accounting: A Study of Conflict and Ambiguity," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(4), pages 809-836.
    2. Oulasvirta, Lasse, 2014. "The reluctance of a developed country to choose International Public Sector Accounting Standards of the IFAC. A critical case study," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 272-285.
    3. Pawan Adhikari & Levi Gårseth-Nesbakk, 2016. "Implementing public sector accruals in OECD member states: Major issues and challenges," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 125-142, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zubir Azhar & Ervina Alfan & Krishnen Kishan & Nurul Husna Assanah, 2022. "Accrual Accounting at Different Levels of the Public Sector: A Systematic Literature Review," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 32(1), pages 36-62, March.
    2. Elaine Stewart & Ciaran Connolly, 2021. "Recent UK Central Government Accounting Reforms: Claimed Benefits and Experienced Outcomes," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(3), pages 557-592, September.
    3. Oulasvirta Lasse Olavi, 2014. "Governmental Financial Accounting and European Harmonisation: Case Study of Finland," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 4(3), pages 237-263, December.
    4. Albertus Theo Jonathan & Khoirul Aswar & Ermawati, 2020. "The Implementation of Accrual Basis Accounting in Indonesian Local Government," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 12(4), pages 67-72.
    5. Du Jianguo & Rauf Ibrahim & Peter Lartey Yao & Rupa Jaladi Santosh & Amponsah Clinton Kwabena, 2019. "The Effectiveness of Internal Controls in Rural Community Banks: Evidence from Ghana," Business Management and Strategy, Macrothink Institute, vol. 10(1), pages 202-218, December.
    6. Tóth, Balázs, 2021. "Milyen kapcsolatban állnak a közszféra reformjai a gazdaságpolitikai paradigmákkal? [How reforms of the public sector relate to the paradigms of economic policy]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(2), pages 205-222.
    7. Chiara Oppi & Cristina Campanale & Lino Cinquini, 2021. "Il problema dell?ambiguit? nei sistemi di misurazione della performance nel settore pubblico: un?analisi della letteratura internazionale," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2021(2), pages 11-38.
    8. Olga Evgenyevna Kachkova & Maria Aramovna Vakhrushina & Irina Dmitriyevna Demina & Taisiya Ivanovna Krishtaleva & Marina Ilyinichna Sidorova & Elena Nikolaevna Dombrovskaya & Lyudmila Vasilyevna Klepi, 2018. "Developing the Accounting Concept in the Public Sector," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 636-649.
    9. Ferry, Laurence & Zakaria, Zamzulaila & Zakaria, Zarina & Slack, Richard, 2018. "Framing public governance in Malaysia: Rhetorical appeals through accrual accounting," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 170-183.
    10. repec:bfv:journl:037 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. 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).
    12. Hanane Jafi & Said Youssef, 2021. "Public sector accounting education and training as supportive mechanisms of the ongoing accrual-based accounting reforms," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 25(1), pages 1-8, November.
    13. Ahmed Eltweri & Alessio Faccia & Scott Foster, 2022. "International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) Adoption: An Institutional Perspective," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, September.
    14. Gårseth-Nesbakk, Levi, 2011. "Accrual accounting representations in the public sector—A case of autopoiesis," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 247-258.
    15. Jayasinghe, Kelum & Adhikari, Pawan & Soobaroyen, Teerooven & Wynne, Andy & Malagila, John & Abdurafiu, Noah, 2021. "Government accounting reforms in Sub-Saharan African countries and the selective ignorance of the epistemic community: A competing logics perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    16. Grzegorz Bucior & Aleksandra Zurawik, 2022. "The Autonomy of Public Sector Units in the Process of Formulating Accounting Policy – Evidence from Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 555-581.
    17. Changwony, Frederick Kibon & Paterson, Audrey S., 2019. "Accounting practice, fiscal decentralization and corruption," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    18. Alessandro Lombrano, 2021. "Dall?armonizzazione alla standardizzazione contabile. Quale via per la riforma degli ordinamenti contabili europei," ECONOMIA PUBBLICA, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2021(3), pages 7-31.
    19. Yusheng Kong & Peter Yao Lartey & Fatoumata Binta Maci Bah & Nirmalya B. Biswas, 2018. "The Value of Public Sector Risk Management: An Empirical Assessment of Ghana," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-18, July.
    20. Fransisca Listyaningsih Utami & Yananto Mihadi Putra & Putri Renalita Sutra Tanjung & Lucky Nugroho, 2020. "Analysis of Audit Opinion of Financial Statements From State Institutions: Indonesia Empirical Study, Period 2012-2017," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 11(5), pages 150-160, October.
    21. Bakre, Owolabi M. & McCartney, Sean & Fayemi, Simeon Femi & Nurunnabi, Mohammad & Almosa, Saad, 2024. "Neoliberalism, ‘honour’-based regulatory frameworks of accounting and accountability in a social context: An examination of the role of accounting in the management of subsidies on petroleum products ," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    public finance accounting; accrual accounting;

    JEL classification:

    • H83 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Public Administration

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pfq:journl:v:65:y:2020:i:2:p:245-262. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Adam Hoffmann (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/bkeeehu.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.