Title: Financial analysis of Palestinian local government

Authors: Rania Yaser Jaber, Nidal Rashid Sabri

Addresses: College of Commerce and Economics, Birzeit University, P.O. Box 14, Birzeit, Palestine. ' College of Commerce and Economics, Birzeit University, P.O. Box 14, Birzeit, Palestine

Abstract: This study aims to examine the major merits of the Palestinian financial and budget systems as well as to identify major financial problems and obstacles facing the Palestinian municipalities in order to recommend reforms and point out the best choices of increasing internal revenues. The study used both financial analysis of actual and budgeted data as well as a survey instrument; thus, a special questionnaire was articulated to collect the perceptions of the financial managers of the Palestinian local governments. The study found that about 85% of the Palestinian local government are using cash basis, 64% of the accounting systems in the municipalities are using the same chart of account for both actual financial accounts and budget statements. Moreover, there is a high percentage of debt due on the municipal residents, low share of taxes to the total revenues of municipalities and a weak accounting transparency system.

Keywords: financial analysis; financial transparency; local government; Palestine; budgets; budgeting; Palestinian municipalities; internal revenues; financial managers; budget statements; debt; municipal residents; taxes; cash basis; accounting systems; chart of account; financial accounts.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2010.034397

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2010 Vol.5 No.2, pp.211 - 224

Published online: 02 Aug 2010 *

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