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The results of an assignment to examine local government finance and training in Benue State, Nigeria are presented in this case study. The financial and management techniques which need to be developed are discussed. A résumé of the financial and administrative condition is given and policy and organisational issues are discussed. Target areas — revenue, budgeting and accounts — are identified, as are training requirements and problems encountered.

In August 2007 the Mainsail II SIV-Lite was frozen by its trustee as a result of the ongoing credit crisis. The state of Maine held $20 million of Mainsail commercial paper in its Cash Pool portfolio, a short-term portfolio that puts temporary, excess state revenues to work. When word of the potential loss became public, the Treasurer came under attack. The case introduces the functions of a state Treasury department, with particular emphasis on the investment objectives and guidelines for the cash pool as well as its composition. The case reviews the events leading up to and including August 2007, the month when the credit markets first began to seize and when the financial crisis effectively began. It examines securitization, structured finance, and the Mainsail SIV-Lite structure in some detail.

On 16 July 2003 the Australian Government’s Treasurer, the Honourable Peter Costello, addressed the Sydney Institute on his vision for a tolerant Australian society. Drawing from Putnam’s research Costello argued that tolerance will flow from an active voluntary sector. However, Costello’s proposed model for a “tolerant” society fails to acknowledge that all behaviour is strategic and that voluntary association based on disinterested action is not possible. Ultimately, Treasurer Costello’s notion of tolerant society fuelled by an active voluntary sector may not lead to his desired end. Indeed, the promotion of voluntary association may contribute to the ongoing exclusion of citizens with low social capital. Amid the dynamism of the modern era some citizens such as ageing workers, slow or ineffective learners and women may be especially at risk. Accordingly, rather than advocating a policy approach that seeks to build inclusiveness through an active voluntary sector this paper recommends a policy approach that explores ways in which to strengthen learning and the wider involvement of individuals through both formal and informal means.

In this study, the taxation knowledge, service, and sanction of the head of village government financial affairs (KAUR of village financial) in Gunung Kidul Regency, Indonesia, were investigated. The data were the primary data obtained by using questionnaires and interview methods. The respondents consisted of 144 of the KAUR of village financial in Gunung Kidul Regency. The sampling data were obtained using a convenience sampling method and then examined by validity test, reliability test, classical assumption test, adjusted R², and t-value test. The obtained questionnaire data showed that the data were valid, reliable, and appropriate to the classical assumption test. The adjusted R² showed a strong correlation of the dependent variable to the independent variable. Furthermore, the t-tested value results showed that the KAUR of village financial in Gunung Kidul Regency fully understood the responsibility of the taxation knowledge, services, and sanctions.

The financial audit process has provided much transparency into the internal control structure and the ability of local governments to remain fiscally stable. The outcomes of many of these audits have provided much information regarding the ability of local governments to provide services in a timely and efficient manner. Even with the implementation of stricter legislation and more stringent accounting standards in addition to an increased level of state oversight, irregular practices and mismanagement continue to occur. This study examines the independent auditor findings in professionally administered governments in North Carolina. Findings indicate numerous reporting problems within a majority of county governments ranging from internal control problems to reconciliation issues that are required to be addressed for information users that question the sustainability of the unit. Lengthy audits processes, less expensive audits and smaller governments that do not have the ability to employ more accountants or accounting specialists are among the factors that increase the probability of reporting problems and inaccurate data.

Decreasing revenues among local governments across the country have placed an increased focus on governmental financial practices. For states with local government financial oversight organizations, the ratios and other benchmarks used to assess fiscal stability face increased scrutiny. This study examines financial reports sent to North Carolina’s financial oversight body, the Local Government Commission (LGC), to determine the types of operational and policy practices that can lead to fiscal stress based on guidelines established by the LGC. Findings indicate that lowering levels of fund balance, increased salaries, increased debt service levels, and the presence of a countywide water system all increased the probability of a county government receiving notice of potential financing problems requiring immediate action.

The purpose of this paper is to improve Kingdon’s (1984, 2011) concept of policy entrepreneurs (PE) with regard to the theoretical development of the definition and identification and level of agency by supplementing it with elements of Schmidt’s (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012) sentient agents. The improved concept of discursive policy entrepreneurs (DPEs) is then applied in an in-depth case study about the agenda setting process of micro and macro whole-of-government accounting in Australia in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Based on the concept of DPEs, a series of operationalised characteristics and proxies are developed to identify them and describe their behaviour. These are then applied in the case study. The two main data sources are semi-structured in-depth interviews and archival documents.

The findings show that the focus on DPEs’ discursive and coordination activities is critical for identifying and investigating the key actors of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)/Government Finance Statistics (GFS) harmonisation agenda setting process. The study also finds that the two relevant decision-making bodies, the Financial Reporting Council and the Australian Accounting Standards Board, lost control over their agendas due to the actions of DPEs.

The improved concepts of DPEs will allow researchers to better identify the main agents of policy change and differentiate them from other supporters of policy ideas. Due to the qualitative nature of the study, the findings are not necessarily generalisable.

The findings from this study can help participants of agenda setting processes to gain a better understanding of the actions and behaviours of DPEs. This might allow standard setting bodies to mitigate against undue influences by DPEs.

This study is the first study that uses Schmidt’s concept of the sentient agent to address the limitations of Kingdon’s concept of PE and develops and applies characteristics to identify PEs and their actions. It is also the only study to date that investigates the GAAP/GFS harmonisation agenda setting process.

This study examines the impact of the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on small business in Australia in the context of the experiences faced in similar countries overseas. Using a case study methodology, data was gathered from six small businesses that were observed throughout the introductory period of the new tax system. In particular, this article considers the costs for small businesses in complying with the new tax system. Businesses reported actual GST compliance costs ranging from $3,331 to $30,140 per business in the cases examined. For the two smallest businesses, their compliance costs amounted to over 3% of the firm's reported annual turnover. The study also identified significant on‐going record keeping and accounting costs that are required by small businesses in order to meet their GST obligations. These findings indicate that governments need to be more aware of the impact of tax reforms on small businesses if they wish to implement changes with minimal adverse impacts on business operations.

The purpose of this research has been to compile an up to date survey of the management methods of the film and television industries used by local and regional government agencies in international production centres. It was intended that the results of the survey would clarify differences in mode of operation and governance and the factors that may contribute to their “attractiveness” from the point of view of the film production market.

The methodology used a combination of written questions and telephone interviews to elicit responses from selected agencies in English‐speaking countries. A typology of different management approaches has been prepared on the basis of the survey data.

The main findings are that the primary government role is connected with film production management, yet very limited evidence has been found for proactive spatial/economic planning support for the industry by local or regional government.

The limitations of the research relate to the smallness of the sample and the difficulty, in some cases, of eliciting meaningful responses. The implications of the findings are considered to be of considerable relevance to desirable modes of governance, the need for planning reform, and ways in which production management processes can be better streamlined. The potential role for local or regional government in adopting practices more in tune with market requirements has considerable implications for the creative and cultural economy, and the findings are of relevance to government decision makers and senior policy staff.

The social implications are indirect and theoretical as they relate to improvements in the cultural landscape of spatial industry clusters. They have not been examined in this paper.

This research program is considered to have originality in that it bridges distinct areas of inquiry usually dealt with by separate professions or skill‐sets (film production, governance and management). Its originality is supported by the limited data discovered in the literature on this combination of topics.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the merits of accrual-based accounting for the public in an Indonesian local government. It gives insights into the connection between the new practices and responses from government apparatus.

The paper applies genetic structuralism from Pierre Bourdieu to study the interrelation of habitus, field and capital in the accrual accounting implementation.

The result indicates a symbolic dominance of central government in the implementation of accrual-based accounting in the local government. Accrual accounting is considered to be a technique of government accountability which is independent from political and social situation.

The accrual accounting implementation preoccupies the government officials in their study of the preparation of financial statements while its utilization to increase the public welfare is still ignored.

The government still prioritizes accountability and transparency for managerial and political purposes. Hence, the public interest is less superior compared with the formalities established between governments – the central government and local governments – and the regional legislator.

This paper contributes to the evaluation of the alignment of government policy with the public interest.