AN APPRAISAL OF ACCOUNTING SYSTEM IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

ABSTRACT

        This write up is the result of a
studying of the accounting process in the public sector. The work is
principally aimed at providing an insight into the accounting system of Board
of Internal revenue Enugu
State, its inefficience,
problems and ways these problems could be effectively be managed. This work is
divided into five chapters namely; The first chapter which is the introduction
of the topic, the researcher defined public sector accounting, the purpose and
objective as well as the significance of the study. In chapter two, the
researcher focuses on the review of related literature as it is related to the
research topic and such review include historical development of government
accounting, Basis of accounting and sources of cash and recording media. In
chapter three, the researcher indicated the research method used in detail;
also it was in chapter four that the data used were collected, presented, analyzed
and show the responses to the area being investigated which were documented
along with their percentage relating to the question asked. In the last
chapter, the researcher discussed the result obtained from data analysis in
chapter four and also a useful and constructive suggestion was put down as that
any interested party may be wee guided.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover page:......................................................................

Title
page:…………………………………………………………..

Certification:………………………………………………………

Dedication:………………………………………………………..

Acknowledgement:………………………………………………

Abstract:………………………………………………………….

Table of contents:………………………………………………

CHAPTER
ONE:   INTRODUCTION

1.1     
Background of the study:…………………………….

1.2     
Statement of the Problem:……………………………

1.3     
Objective of the study:………………………………..

1.4     
Significance of the study:……………………………

1.5     
Research question:……………………………………

1.6     
Scope and Limitation of the
study:……………….

1.7     
Definition of terms:…………………………………..

CHAPTER
TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1     
Introduction:………………………………………….

2.2     
Historical Development of Government
Accounting:

2.3     
Financial Information:……………………………………

2.4     
Sources of cash and Recording
Media:………….

2.5     
Nature and purpose of Government
Accounting:..

2.6     
Fund Accounting classification:…………………

2.7     
Basis of Accounting:………………………………….

2.8     
Depreciation:……………………………………………

CHAPTER
THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN

3.1     
Research design ………………………………………..

3.2     
Sources of data ………………………………………….

3.3     
Population of the study ………………………………..

3.4     
Determination of sample size and
techniques…….

3.5     
Method of data collection
……………………………..

3.6     
Procedure of data analysis ……………………………

CHAPTER
FOUR:  DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1     
Section A (Personal Data)……………………………..

4.2     
Section B (Cash)…………………………………………

4.3     
Section C (Cheque)……………………………………...

4.4     
Section D (Stocks/Supplies)
………………………….

CHAPTER
FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION

                           AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1     
Summary of findings …………………………………………..

5.2     
Conclusion ……………………………………………………….

5.3     
Recommendation ………………………………………………

References

Bibliography

Appendix

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

        History has it that the concept of
accountability of public funds dates backs to the history of ancient Greece.  As old as theory is, it would not be
erroneous to say that the idea has been equally lost to antiquity although not
much is known about it, this makes the subject, government accounting to remain
a myth.

        Accounting in the public sector has
received such a wide attention from scholars that the field of public sector
accounting scans to be neglected.

        However, there is general awareness all
over the world of the need to pay greater attention to the development of
government accounting and financial control. 
The reason is obvious, government, in most, if not all nations
constitute the largest single business entity in many places, the core of the
economy.  Government in any society is
basically for maintaining law and order. 
With changes and the complete nature of the society, government
responsibility has automatically changed from the role of maintaining law and
order to business like nature in the modern era.  The enormous activities of government,
equally call for enlarged government accounting in order to accommodate the immense
task.  As a result of this development,
the traditional cash procedures of accounting can hardly meet the demands of
reasonable accounting for modern government in providing necessary services or
information. Therefore, there is need for government accounting to be dynamic
in order to accommodate both the fundamental roles and the developments.

        Government accounting is the process of
recording, analyzing, classifying, summarizing, communicating and interpreting
financial information about government in aggregate and in detail, reflecting
all transactions involving the receipts, transfer and disposition of government
funds and property.  The purpose are to
demonstrate the propriety of transactions and their conformity with established
rules to give evidence of accountability for the stewardship of government
resources and to provide useful information for the good control and efficient
management of government operation.

        Financial management in the public
services as can be observed has failed to encourage and promote the efficient
utilization of public funds or serve as effective basis for planning and
decision making as well as to ensure proper accountability.  Besides, it does not mean that financial
irregularities being detected in public sector at large is basically based on
traditional cash procedure of accounting but it does arouse a question whether
the modern system of accounting will make both modern management and financial
management viable.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

        The problem of this
research is to ide