Integrative Summary: Municipalities are the third level of government and are responsible for delivery of basic services to citizens. They carry the developmental mandate of government and are often the first point of interaction between government and citizens. Being at the front line of service delivery, the issue of fiscal stability of municipalities and their ability to deliver sustainable services is of grave importance (Carter & Ajam 2003). Unfortunately in a South African context most municipalities are not fiscally sustainable (Roos & Stander 2005). In a study of 142 South African municipalities, it was found that poor collection of outstanding debt and irregular or wasteful expenditure were the biggest causes of fiscal stress (Roos & Stander 2005). In fact, in 2004 the difficulties appear to have reached crisis level (Lubbe & Roussouw 2005). The fiscal situation within municipalities was so bad that the South African Local Government Authority (SALGA) implemented a unit specifically to assist municipalities that were at “crisis point” (Roos & Stander, 2005 p. 165). This research report focuses on the evaluation of Igoli 2002 which was a response to fiscal crisis within the City of Johannesburg metropolitan municipality when in 1997 the City of Johannesburg was declared insolvent. The research evaluated the long term sustainability of the Igoli 2002 programme to determine its success in addressing the issues of fiscal stress and crisis facing the municipality. The research also attempted to assess the applicability of international indicators of fiscal stress and crisis to the City of Johannesburg. The research evaluated the Igoli 2002 programme via a financial condition analysis, against international indicators of fiscal stress and crisis and against a logic framework detailing the goals of the programme. The research found that ultimately, the Igoli 2002 intervention implemented by the City of Johannesburg was successful in improving the fiscal position and sustainability of the City. In addition, indicators from predictive models of fiscal stress and crisis were found to be relevant to the City of Johannesburg.

The investigation of this study focused on the ability of provincial government departments in South Africa to spend allocated revenues on activities adequately, with a direct bearing on social and economic development. The research presents an analysis of two selected Eastern Cape Provincial Government departments’ expenditure for a three-year timeframe (the fiscal years from 2009–2012), with a focus on the oversight role played by the Provincial Planning and Treasury department in instilling fiscal discipline in the provinces, and the potentially detrimental effect of under-spending on provincial service delivery. Among other things mentioned and discussed are, firstly, the fiscal policy; secondly, the funding of provincial departments; thirdly, the role and responsibilities of the Provincial Planning and Treasury department. The study adopted a qualitative methodology which focussed on the perspective of the insider who has experienced first-hand the activities or procedures under scrutiny in the selected provincial departments. Further, the qualitative researcher believed that first-hand experience provides the most meaningful data. In support of this, the respondents were asked twenty-two questions, the first five of which were based on the need to understand their personal particulars. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to 43 officials and 22 of those questionnaires were returned.

Budget control is a process of financial monitoring to ensure effective allocation, collection and efficient utilizing of public funds. It is a process that is aimed at ensuring the accomplishment of public policy objectives. Budget control is regulated by financial legislation as well as regulations and procedures which guide public financial administrators. Continuous monitoring is needed once appropriation is allowed by parliament or provincial legislatures to ensure effective service rendering as well as tax and user charges collection. This study investigates the reported ineffective budget control measures implemented by the provincial treasury in the Province of the Eastern Cape particularly in the Eastern Cape Department of Education (George, 2004). Ineffective budget control may be associated with the implementation of unstable fiscal policy by the provincial treasury that led to deficit spending in the Department of Education during the 2004/5 financial year. The purpose of this study is to show that the implementation of stable fiscal policy instruments by the provincial treasury would lead to effective budget control in provincial departments such as the Eastern Cape Department of Education. Governments in many instances encounter various challenges in controlling their expenditures on an annual basis as well as in the medium term. This is due to the notion that once the government exceeds the current year’s budget, it consumes the forthcoming budget. Borrowing is by nature an implicit consumption of future unplanned revenue. This makes the Medium Term Revenue Framework in the province immaterial as the provincial own revenue is insignificant. The relative uncontrollability of government expenditure stems from the notion that the provision of, for instance, primary education and social welfare is intertwined with legal entitlement within prescribed parameters. Allocative efficiency embodies recognition of legal entitlement that is reflected in the distribution imperatives if the provincial treasury is to be effective in the budget control function. The National Norms and Standards for School Funding of 2006 state explicitly that public spending in public schools is targeted at increasing the literacy levels of the poor. Intergovernmental fiscal relations play a pivotal role in modelling the fiscal policy of the province. This stems from the fact that expected national collected revenue is distributed as an equitable share to national, provincial and local spheres of government. The criteria for revenue sharing are based on economic disparities and demographics in each sphere of government. It is imperative to note in intergovernmental relations that there are functional areas of concurrent national and provincial competencies. The budget control function of the provincial treasury is implemented within the framework of various administrative processes which are aimed at ensuring effective transactional activities. The disbursement of funds and various other financial processes are subject to the delegation of powers as prescribed in the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act 1 of 1999), as amended by Act 29 of 1999. The provincial governments’ fiscal policies are modelled to be consistent with the macro-economic objectives of the national government. It is for the purpose of macro-economic stability that only national government is eligible to borrow to finance a budget deficit. Provinces are legally prohibited from overspending their budgets. If the fiscal policies of the provinces materially and unreasonably prejudice the national economic policies, the relevant provincial treasury is responsible for taking appropriate steps to place the financial administration on a sound footing.

No description available.

Submitted by Elba Lopes (elba.lopes@fecap.br) on 2015-12-21T18:33:55Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Vilson_Vendramin_Junior.pdf: 794993 bytes, checksum: 225ec35bfebc686ba16a1234e1c4565e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-21T18:33:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Vilson_Vendramin_Junior.pdf: 794993 bytes, checksum: 225ec35bfebc686ba16a1234e1c4565e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-31 / The budget management in public administration is key to the managers so they can make efficient, effective and economic decisions in the management of public resources, providing quality services to the public, ensuring equity in meeting the needs of the population. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the main perception of occupants of positions in the administrative area of the executive powers (Prefectures) of the metropolitan region of Campinas (CMR) ??? about the cost management for the quality and efficiency of public spending. The methodology qualifies as quantitative, descriptive and case study, once it results from applying a questionnaire and, because it has as main basis the variable description and analysis of the relationship between them. The data-gathering instrument used was a questionnaire of 20 probes using Likert scale for answers the five dimensions for a better analysis. The research area was 102 public office managers from 20 municipalities belonging to CMR, being: 20 Mayors, 62 Head of Departments and 20 Accounting Managers. The data was tabulated and for analysis of the differences of averages among groups of managers respondents, was conducted the nonparametric test U Mann-Whitney Test. As a result it was revealed that despite the need for better training managers realize the importance and the necessity of cost management for the quality and efficiency of public spending, the positions go with the conceptual basis prepared in literature and legislation. Respondents mostly are convinced that transparency and cost information are essential for good management. / A gest??o de custos na administra????o p??blica ?? fundamental para que os gestores possam tomar decis??es eficientes, eficazes e econ??micas na condu????o dos recursos p??blicos, fornecendo a sociedade servi??os de qualidade, garantindo a equidade no atendimento das necessidades da popula????o. Logo, este estudo tem por objetivo principal analisar a percep????o dos gestores ocupantes de cargos de dire????o da ??rea administrativa dos Poderes Executivos (Prefeituras) da Regi??o Metropolitana de Campinas (RMC) ??? a respeito da gest??o de custos para a qualidade e efici??ncia do gasto p??blico. A metodologia qualifica-se como, descritiva, uma vez que resulta da aplica????o de um question??rio e, porque tem como fundamento principal a descri????o de vari??veis e an??lise das rela????es existentes entre elas. O instrumento de coleta de dados utilizado foi um question??rio de 20 assertivas, utilizando a escala Likert para respostas as cinco dimens??es visando uma melhor an??lise. A ??rea de abrang??ncia da pesquisa foi 102 gestores dos 20 munic??pios pertencentes a RMC, sendo: 20 Prefeitos, 62 Secret??rios e 20 Contadores. Os dados foram tabulados e para an??lise das diferen??as de m??dias entre os grupos de gestores respondentes, foi realizado o teste n??o param??trico Teste U de Mann-Whitney. Como resultado foi revelado que apesar da necessidade de uma melhor capacita????o os gestores percebem a import??ncia e a necessidade da gest??o de custos para a qualidade e efici??ncia do gasto p??blico, os posicionamentos v??o de encontro com a base conceitual disposta na literatura e na legisla????o. Os respondentes em sua maioria est??o convictos que a transpar??ncia e as informa????es de custos s??o pe??a essencial para um boa gest??o e em an??lise n??o se observou diferen??as significativas entre as percep????es dos gestores.

Ho Wai-yee. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-53). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract (English) --- p.i / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.ii / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Table of contents --- p.iv / Chapter Chapter1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Literature Review --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Organization of the thesis --- p.8 / Chapter Chapter2 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Model --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3 --- Effects of government expenditure --- p.11 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary / Chapter Chapter3 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.16 / Chapter 3.2 --- The Model --- p.16 / Chapter 3.3 --- The capital mobile case --- p.21 / Chapter 3.4 --- Summary --- p.25 / Chapter Chapter4 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.27 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Model --- p.27 / Chapter 4.3 --- Dynamics --- p.33 / Chapter 4.4 --- Current Account Balance --- p.35 / Chapter 4.5 --- Comparative Statics --- p.36 / Chapter 4.6 --- Welfare --- p.38 / Chapter 4.7 --- Summary --- p.41 / Chapter Chapter5 / Conclusion --- p.43 / Appendix --- p.46 / Reference --- p.52

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

This study examined the impact of financial liberalisation on economic growth in South Africa. The study used quarterly time series data for the period 1980 to 2010. A vector error correction model was used to determine the short run and long run effects of financial liberalisation on economic growth in South Africa. The other explanatory variables considered in this study were government expenditure, investment ratio, public expenditure on education and trade openness. Results from this study revealed that financial liberalisation, government expenditure and public expenditure on education have a positive impact on economic growth while trade openness negatively affects economic growth in South Africa. Policy recommendations were made using these results.

In the past years the government has been giving speeches and promises to South African Residents about housings for all but this is still a challenge. This is problematic for the township Joe Slovo in the sense that more than one third of the population live in small, unsafe shacks. It is evident that many suffer from the slow delivery of houses and many residents are affected negatively in the struggle for proper housing.

This paper responds to the development policy debate involving the World Bank and the IMF on the use of fiscal policy not only for economic stabilization but also to promote economic growth and increase per capita income. A key issue in this debate relates to the effect of the composition of public expenditure on economic growth. Policy makers and some researchers have argued that expenditure on growth-enhancing functions could enhance future revenue and justify the provision of "fiscal space" in the budget. But there are no simple ways to identify the growth-maximizing composition of public expenditure. The current paper lays out a research strategy to explore the effects of fiscal policy, including the composition of public expenditure, on economic growth, using a time series approach. Based on the modeling strategy of Greiner, Semmler and Gong (2005) we develop a general model that features a government that undertakes public expenditure on (a) education and health facilities which enhance human capital, (b) public infrastructure such as roads and bridges necessary for market activity, (c) public administration to support government functions, (d) transfers and public consumption facilities, and (e) debt service. The proposed model is numerically solved, calibrated and the impact of the composition of public expenditure on the long-run per capita income explored for low-, lower-middle- and uppermiddle-income countries. Policy implications and practical policy rules are spelled out, the extension to an estimable model indicated, a debt sustainability test proposed, and the out-of-steady-state dynamics studied.