Sustainability, transparency and reform have been held up as the shining beacons of our economic recovery. Our politics, our budget and our ethos are placed back on drawing boards across the country in the quest to return the UK to its heyday of steady economic growth. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, however, offer some brief words of caution.
Whilst our wild ideas about the importance of spending or cuts, the role of elections and representation and the significance public or private sector investment are important, there are some basic changes which have to happen before they can make lasting change. We have to set our ideological angst and meta-debates to one side for a moment, and take a look at the books.
Architects of international financial reporting standards have responded to the crisis by reforming the information and presentation of accounts across the world. Britain seems to lack the political will to get behind this change, yet improved financial reporting would make the nation’s accounts more consistent with those of the fifty countries which have already adopted the new standards laid out by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board. Greater consistency and greater comparability gained from international financial reporting will help on the road to recovery by increasing confidence and transparency.
Better financial training for all public servants is an intrinsic part of this process, the ICAEW argue. This training, with a long-term change in attitude towards our accounts, will help to improve understandings of public sector finances and, with that, understanding of policy. Once our public servants, and the international community, can access accounts more consistently, we can report with greater confidence on the state of the economy.
Sustainability, transparency and reform have a right to be seen as a beacon of recovery. Passionate debates on the right course for the country need to be had but, for the sake of our understanding and the happiness of our accountants, let’s take a look at the books first.
Content from our partners
Related
