Why money cannot be spent as budgeted? Lessons from china’s recent budget reforms 1

Dados Bibliográficos

ID20201844
AutoresJun Ma (0000-0003-3412-7766, Sun Yat-sen University), Yu Li (0000-0002-0964-6399, South China Normal University), Li Yu (0000-0002-2267-8547)
Ano2012
Volume24
Fascículo1
Páginas83-113
Data de publicação2012-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Public Budgeting Accounting & Financial Management (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1096-3367 • E-ISSN: 1945-1814
EditoraEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/jpbafm-24-01-2012-b005
OpenAlexW2772448555
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas4
Referências citadas6

To modernize budgeting system is a challenge issue in many developing countries. To some scholars (Schick, 1998a, 1998b; Ma, 2009a), developing countries must first put into place basic budgetary controls before moving to more advanced models of budgeting. This approach of “basic first,” however, is questioned by others (e.g., Andrew, 2006). Drawing on China's recent budget reforms, this essay reconfirms the validity of the “basics first” approach. In China, budget reform since 1999 has begun to install budgetary controls for state finance, leading to an enhancement of budgeting capacity and financial accountability. However, governments at the same time have begun to be plagued by the unexpected problem of delays in spending and the accumulation of significant underexpenditures. Contrary to what many people may believe, we contend that this somewhat odd problem arises not because the new budgeting system has exercised too much control but rather because the new system is not yet effective in exerting budgetary controls

Accountability · China · Economic policy · Economics · Management · Political science · Computer Science · Law · Local Government Finance and Decentralization · Public-Private Partnership Projects · Accounting · Finance