Consequences of failure to manage public sector financial records

Abstract

The focus of this article is the management of public sector financial records. In researching this subject, pilot studies were initially carried out in The Gambia designed to underpin the larger study in Ghana. The fundamental contribution of these studies is the definition of an essential, but often ignored condition necessary for effective and efficient machinery for public financial management. The studies demonstrate that the effective management of public sector financial information is a crucial factor in providing capacity for public sector efficiency and governance. This view supports an emerging trend in Public Sector Management (PSM) that government records and in particular, the records generated by the public financial management system provide the evidence required to support transparency and accountability and at the same time inform the effective management of the Consolidated Fund. This article submits that without documentary evidence, the public has no means of holding the state accountable. In effect, public financial records provide an effective means by which the public discern and measure the full stature of their government.