Influence the Quality of Accounting Information Systems and the Effectiveness of Internal Control on Public Financial Reporting Quality; an Empirical Sturdy

Abstract

There is a growing concern over the public financial management practices including financial reporting of governments. People's concern over more productive public resource utilization has flourished. Not only that, transparency, accountability, and openness of public money utilizations have become more common. Financial reporting is a key leading instrument that is able to prove both ideas. The requirement stimulates governments to concern about the quality of financial reporting in the public sector. The government of Sri Lanka has already taken several steps to strengthen their public financial reporting while there are still being criticisms by critical interest parties. The situation creates a drought over the effectiveness and the direction of the initiatives. Based on the public financial reporting environment in Sri Lanka, the research investigates the determining factors of Public Financial Reporting Quality (PFRQ). Scholars acknowledge the influence of the Accounting Information System (AIS) and Internal Control (IC) to determine the PFRQ in different organizational environments. A questionnaire survey seeking opinions on these two areas was distributed to a sample of Accountants working in the central government ministries and departments in Sri Lanka. The results reveal the strong contribution of AIS and IC to enhance the PFRQ. The results further acknowledge the findings of previous scholars over the positive influence of AIS and IC to determine the FRQ. These findings contribute to the literature by analyzing the determinants of financial reporting quality in the public sector. Finally, it is recommending to the government of Sri Lanka to take steps to strengthen their public financial reporting in a correct and more influential direction.