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Capital assets in governmental accounting reforms: comparing Flemish technical issues with international standards

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  • Johan Christiaens

Abstract

Although some efforts have been made over the last twenty years, governmental capital assets are still the subject of many unresolved questions. This paper first presents an overview of the current differing accounting standards or research efforts with respect to governmental capital assets and then analyses the criteria of recognition, valuation and disclosure of capital assets in the reform of three kinds of Flemish governments. Their reformed accounting system is compared with IPSAS 17 (IFAC), which is an important internationally driven milestone in respect of capital assets. There appears to be a lack of a conceptual framework regarding capital assets and an attempt is made to structure the existing ideas. Another important issue in governmental accounting is drawing up the 'first balance sheet', which is necessary when accounting reforms are implemented. This study indicates that the fact that no separate accounting framework for capital assets with respect to the first balance sheet is distinguished, causes a lot of confusion in the discussion about accounting standards. Finally, the paper aims to provide actual cases as illustrations in analysing governmental accounting standards for capital assets. The examination of the adoption of the governmental accounting reforms, reveals that such reforms do not usually take the specific governmental characteristics of capital assets into account.

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  • Johan Christiaens, 2004. "Capital assets in governmental accounting reforms: comparing Flemish technical issues with international standards," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 743-770.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:13:y:2004:i:4:p:743-770
    DOI: 10.1080/0963818042000237133
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    Cited by:

    1. Oulasvirta, Lasse, 2014. "The reluctance of a developed country to choose International Public Sector Accounting Standards of the IFAC. A critical case study," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 272-285.
    2. J. Christiaens & J. Rommel & A. Barton & P. Everaert, 2008. "Should All Capital Goods of Governments be Recognised as Assets in Financial Accounting?," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 08/505, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    3. Mitu Ina & Tiron Tudor Adriana, 2013. "Public Sector Combinations: A New Challenge For Ipsasb," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(2), pages 540-549, December.
    4. Luciano Marchi & Stefano Marasca & Marco Giuliani, 2013. "Valutare la ricerca nella prospettiva europea e internazionale: prime riflessioni," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2013(3), pages 99-113.
    5. Jane Broadbent & James Guthrie, 2008. "Public sector to public services: 20 years of “contextual” accounting research," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(2), pages 129-169, February.
    6. Hasina Rasolonjatovo & Evelyne Lande & Victor Harison, 2015. "Active asset management: feasibility in Malagasy municipalities," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(6), pages 417-422, November.
    7. Alexandre Rambaud & Jacques Richard, 2016. "The " Triple Depreciation Line " (TDL) accounting model and its application to the Human Capital," Working Papers hal-01260004, HAL.
    8. Antonella Paolini & Michela Soverchia, 2013. "Le universit? statali italiane verso la contabilit? economico-patrimoniale ed il controllo di gestione," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2013(3), pages 77-98.
    9. Sabrina Gigli & Marco Tieghi, 2017. "La riforma del sistema informativo-contabile degli atenei italiani. Una proposta di analisi del nuovo modello di bilancio," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2017(1), pages 61-90.

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