Abstract:
The thesis is a study of the provincial accounting system which specifies that provincial accounting system which specifies that provincial government offices record financial transactions and submit such financial records to the respective headquarters in the Central Administration. Under the existing accounting system, a Provincial Governor, who is responsible for administrative work within his province, has no adequate and up-to-data information to assist him in planning, analyzing and making decision. It is proposed, therefore, that the accounting system be amended to become a provincial accounting system, under the direct jurisdiction of the Provincial Governor and with the provincial treasurer who is the recorder of financial transactions. Receipts and payments are proposed to be handled directly by the provincial treasurer, instead of through the respective government offices as under the existing system. Under this proposed system, all accounting work of government offices in the provinces may be abolished, with the exception of a few registers to keep track of budgetary appropriations and advance payments for official purposes. A financial report would now be made by the provincial treasurer and to be submitted to the Provincial Governor, the Ministry of Finance and the chiefs of respective government offices in the provinces. Besides the proposed amendment to the existing provincial accounting system, it is recommended that the proposed system be extended by a cost accounting system, in order to benefit the process of budgetary requests, monitoring, evaluation, and decision-making. Two levels of such cost accounting system are proposed: 1. One which shows actual payments related to complete programmes, jobs, or projects. This will enable future budgetary requests to be made realistically and truly in line with the actual programmes, jobs or projects. As is currently the case, certain expenditures are not truly related to the programmes, jobs, or projects. 2. One which shows actual costs. This would be made by the provincial offices in place of the existing provincial accounting system, now proposed to be abolished. The costs are to be differentiated according to the lined of work, programmes, jobs, project, or activities. The proposed amendment to the existing provincial accounting system so as to become a true and factual provincial accounting system strengthened by a cost accounting system would enable the provincial governor and chiefs of respective provincial government offices to have financial data which are handy and adequate for planning analyzing and making decision.