Potential Challenges and Implications of Implementing Accrual Accounting in the Public Sector in Sri Lanka
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.05.02.06Keywords:
Accrual-basis accounting, Public sector, Sri LankaAbstract
This study investigated revenue recognition, expense recording, asset presentation, and liability reporting in accrual-basis accounting in financial statements as it examined the difficulties of implementing accrual accounting in the public sector in Sri Lanka. Questionnaires were used to gather data, and ordinal regression analysis was used to examine participant replies. The findings showed a strong association between potential challenges and a number of independent variables, such as accountants' proficiency with accrual accounting, non-accountants understanding of financial statements, non-finance managers' support, regulatory and legal barriers, and the availability of qualified personnel. The results emphasized the difficulties in making the switch to accrual accounting in the public sector and offer guidance for practitioners and policymakers who want to solve these issues.
Downloads
References
Adela D, Cristina S N, Crina F (2011), The Im-pact of Accrual Accounting on Public
Sector Management, An Exploratory Study for Romania, Transylvanian Re-view of Administrative Sciences, No. 32 E/2011, pp. 74-97.
Ali Rkein (2008), Accrual Accounting and Pub-lic Sector Reform: Northern Territory Experience. PHD Research.
AMBE Alfred Nobe (2017), Reforming public sector accounting and financial systems: A critique of Cameroon and Nigeria, In-ternational Journal of Accounting & Business Finance 87 Issue I – 2015, pp. 86-101.
Arnaboldi, M., Lapsley, I (2009). ‘On the Im-plementation of Accrual Accounting: A Study of Conflict , Ambiguity’, European Accounting Review, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 809-836.
Carnegie, G. D., West, B.P (2003), ‘How Well Does Accrual Accounting Fit the Public Sector?’, Australian Journal of Public Ad-ministration, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 83-86.
Chan, J.L (2003), Government Accounting: An Assessment of Theory, Purposes and Standards, Public Money and Manage-ment, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 13-20.
Cohen, S., Kaimenakis, N., Venieris, G (2009), Reaping the Benefits of Two Worlds: An Exploratory Study of the Cash and the Accrual Accounting Information Roles in Local Governments, [Online] available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1441896.
Connoly, C., Hyndman, N (2006), The Actual Implementation of Accrual Accounting, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 272- 290.
Diamond, J., ‘Performance Budgeting (2002) – Is Accrual Accounting Required?’, Inter-national Monetary Fund, Working Paper, no. 02/240, 2002, [Online] available at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=16197.0.
Ministry of Finance, Sri Lanka, CA Sri Lanka, Manual of Sri Lanka Public Sector Ac-counting Standard, 2009,2012,2018 and 2019, available online, https://www.casrilanka.com/casl/
P.W. Senarath Yapa, Sarath Ukwatte (2014), The New Public Financial Management (NPFM) and Accrual Accounting in Sri Lanka.
Rozaidy M, Siti N.A.K, Rasid M., Raman N (2017) Accrual Accounting in Public Sec-tors: Possible Contextual and Application Gaps for Future Research Agenda, Asian Journal of Finance & Accounting ISSN 1946-052X 2017, Vol. 9, No. 1
Vickeswaran A. (2019), Perception of Gov-ernment Accountants of Current Public Sector Accounting Practiced and Imple-mentation of Public Sector Accounting in the Sri Lanka, Asian Journal of Finance & Accounting ISSN 1946-0252x 2019, Vol 11, No.1.
Zarah P (2016), Innovation of Public Sector Financial Management: Towards Accrual Accounting, Innovation in Regional Pub-lic Service for Sustainability (ICPM 2016)
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access).














