Developments in Public Accounting in Portugal

Abstract

In Portugal we are assisting, since the nineties, to the reform of all public accounting, having as main innovations the utilization of double entry system and the obligatoryness to implement three accounting systems: budget accounting, patrimonial and cost acounting. In the systems of patrimonial and cost accounting, it will be used the accrual systems. The publication of the first Public Accouting Plan (POCP) in 1997 identifies the change from a traditional public accounting, which main objective was the execution and budgetary control to a modern public accounting with economical, financial and patrimonial information that serves as basis to the decision making and to the evaluation of public entities concerning the efficient, effective utilization and economy of the public resources, contributing, this way, to the implementation of the New Public Management. The objective of this work has two perspectives: to describe and analyse the situation in Portugal concerning the public accounting reform, and to present some results consequent to twelve years of implementation.