Budgetary Control Practices of Government Parastatals in Cross River State: Implications For Reforms

ABSTRACT 

This study focused on budgetary control practices of government parastatals in Cross River State with implications for reforms. Four research questions guided the study while four null hypotheses were formulated and tested at the probability of 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study was carried out in Cross River State made up of 18 local government areas and 3 senatorial districts. The population of the study was 332 made up of 53 management staff, 95 heads of departments and 184 accounting staff in ten government parastatals. There was no sampling since the population was manageable; the entire population constitutes the sample. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection while the data generated were analyzed using the mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the null hypotheses. Three experts validated the questionnaire items, two from the Department of Vocational Teacher Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and one from the Department of Accounting, University of Calabar. The questionnaire items were tested for reliability using cronbach method which yielded coefficients of 0.95, 0.86, 0.92 and 0.91 for the four sections A, B, C, and D while the overall cluster was 0.91. Three research assistants helped in administering 339 copies of the questionnaire to the respondents. Only 332 were retrieved and analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the questions and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the null hypotheses of no significance difference. The null hypotheses tested revealed that there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of the respondents on the physical budgetary control practices in government parastatals. The study also revealed that there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of the respondents on the financial budgetary control practices in government parastatals. Based on the findings, it was recommended that: (1) government parastatals should adopt a medium term budgetary framework where arrears and shortfall of revenue and expenditure are carried over to the new year within the medium term and (2) since due process, accountability and transparency are the hallmarks of a new budgeting system, a consultative forum should be convene where stakeholders are kept abreast of the previous budget and what is expected in the new budget.