In recent years there have been a number of significant reforms in local
government accounting practices around the world. While the specific
reasons for these changes vary, a common factor is the increasing need
for governments to measure the efficacy and efficiency of their
performance. Nowhere is this trend more apparent than at the local
government level.
This book aims to give a comparative international perspective on local
government accounting innovations, and offers specific cases involving
different economic, political and cultural conditions. Countries
receiving extended treatment include Belgium, China, Italy, Japan,
Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, the United
Kingdom and the United States. Together, the essays offer a
state-of-the-art take on these issues and identify key issues for future
research.