This paper defines and explains key stages of the government expenditure chain and describes the controls applied at each stage, including their objectives and key features as well as centralized vs. decentralized approaches in application of those controls. The paper also examines the influence of different administrative traditions on types of expenditure controls, including the authority and responsibility of various institutional actors. Finally, it discusses typical weaknesses/problems associated with different traditions of expenditure control and suggests specific measures for strengthening the control framework. While providing examples of expenditure control practices from more than 32 countries, the paper points out that more than two-thirds of the 85 low and middle income countries covered by the publicly available Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessments have weak systems of expenditure control that are also associated with higher levels of expenditure arrears and a lack of budget credibility. This paper will help public financial management practitioners to evaluate budget execution systems and identify priorities for strengthening expenditure controls. It will also usefully guide technical assistance work related to modernization of government budget execution and expenditure control systems, including the design and implementation of IT-based financial management information systems.

Managing Public Expenditure presents a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of all aspects of public expenditure management from the preparation of the budget to the execution, control and audit stages.

This book, written by A. Premchand, offers a comprehensive review of fiscal policies and their implications for budgeting and expenditure controls. It provides an in-depth discussion of techniques, procedures, and processes of budgeting with illustrative material drawn from the experiences of industrial and developing countries.

Traditionally, economics training in public finances has focused more on tax than public expenditure issues, and within expenditure, more on policy considerations than the more mundane matters of public expenditure management. For many years, the IMF's Public Expenditure Management Division has answered specific questions raised by fiscal economists on such missions. Based on this experience, these guidelines arose from the need to provide a general overview of the principles and practices observed in three key aspects of public expenditure management: budget preparation, budget execution, and cash planning. For each aspect of public expenditure management, the guidelines identify separately the differing practices in four groups of countries - the francophone systems, the Commonwealth systems, Latin America, and those in the transition economies. Edited by Barry H. Potter and Jack Diamond, this publication is intended for a general fiscal, or a general budget, advisor interested in the macroeconomic dimension of public expenditure management.

Public expenditure control has become a central element of economic policy in many countries. This report analyses budget practices and some recent innovations from the point of view of senior public servants in the central budget offices of ...

Public Expenditure Control in Europe provides a timely and detailed study of audit control of government expenditure in selected EU countries. It combines the factual and descriptive analysis of senior experts practising in the area with the insights of top academics writing in this field. The studies dissect different cultural and institutional practices in auditing public expenditure highlighting difficulties in gaining European consistency or in auditing across different levels of government. Overall, the book argues for greater harmonization and comparability while allowing room for diversity and experimentation. John Wanna, Griffith University, Australia This book presents a comprehensive analysis of public expenditure control in Europe and the coordination strategies available. It provides a detailed scrutiny of the various audit systems in the EU and the difficulties in building consistency or harmony between them. The book demonstrates how successful strategies should aim to strengthen the collaboration between different layers of government at the EU, national and regional levels. The authors illustrate how effective cooperation between Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) is one of the starting points for any rational system of external control of Europe s public finances. However, this cooperation must be founded upon respect for the independence and operating mandate of each SAI and for their different organizational and operational procedures. Importantly, the authors analyse three critical phenomena that determine the present context in which SAIs develop their activities. These include the impact of the current processes of supranational integration and state decentralization taking place in Europe; the growing demand for transparency, accountability and external control; and the more complex situations created by the loss of a clear distinction between the private and public sectors. The book also offers detailed country studies of audit functions and how they are developed and interpreted, and examines coordination strategies in the context of fraud, auditing, reporting and harmonization. This volume will prove to be an invaluable resource for scholars, students and practitioners of public finance, auditing and administration. It will also be of interest to those working in the areas of public budgeting and public sector management in the EU.

This is a comprehensive manual, based on a sound conceptual foundation but with a deliberate operational thrust, covering the entire public expenditure management cycle--from multiyear expenditure programming and budget formulation through budget execution, audit, and evaluation.

Policymakers and program managers are continually seeking ways to improve accountability in achieving an entity's mission. A key factor in improving accountability in achieving an entity's mission is to implement an effective internal control system. An effective internal control system helps an entity adapt to shifting environments, evolving demands, changing risks, and new priorities. As programs change and entities strive to improve operational processes and implement new technology, management continually evaluates its internal control system so that it is effective and updated when necessary. Section 3512 (c) and (d) of Title 31 of the United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA)) requires the Comptroller General to issue standards for internal control in the federal government.

Edited by A. Premchand, this collection of seminar papers and country studies examines recent developments in government accounting and financial management in selected industrial and developing countries. The country studies include Australia, Canada, China, India, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Latin American countries.