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Are Private Sector Standards Enough? An Example From Public Sector Hospitals in New Zealand
Author(s) -
Van Peursem K. A.,
Pratt M. J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
financial accountability and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.661
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1468-0408
pISSN - 0267-4424
DOI - 10.1111/1468-0408.00055
Subject(s) - public sector , accounting , revenue , business , private sector , public interest , public disclosure , finance , economics , political science , economic growth , engineering , law , mechanical engineering , economy
The aim of this paper is to assess whether and to what extent public sector hospital reports in New Zealand disclose information which best support the public interest. We analyse the content of the annual reports of Crown Health Enterprises (CHEs) for 1994, 1995 and 1996. It is concluded that the developments in public sector accounting, with respect to the public interest, have not permeated these reports to any significant extent. The following changes would improve these reportings: Reports providing costs relative to non‐financial accomplishments; removing the traditional ‘revenue’ disclosure; disclosing non‐financial as well as financial resources and obligations; providing further disaggregation in the reports; disclosing budgetary information and valuing assets alternatively. Implications of the lens used for the analysis are also considered.