The curse of financial decentralization to the upcountry districts in Uganda: the neglected service delivery correlates
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Date
2018-06
Authors
Kaziba Mpaata, Abdul
Lubogoyi, Bumali
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Abstract
The study identified the variables in the financial decentralization policy that have been neglected
so as to render local government service delivery a nightmare in Uganda using the upcountry
district of Mbale. The population comprised Mbale Municipality administration covering
employees in the office of the town clerk, finance department, health department, education
department, engineering and works department and internal audit department. The specific
objectives were; (1) to establish the relationship between various aspects of financial reporting
and accounting and service delivery under the current decentralization; (2) to examine the
relationship between the existing planning and budgeting practices and service delivery; and (3)
to analyze the relationship between management of funds and service delivery. Results of the
study confirm a positive and significant relationship between financial reporting, and accounting
practices and the expected service delivery under the current decentralization [r = .832**, p <
0.0001]; (2) there is a positive and significant relationship between the existing planning and
budgeting practices and service delivery [r = .752**, p < 0.0001]; and (3) there is a positive and
significant relationship between financial management and service delivery [r = .911**, p <
0.0001]. It was concluded that financial reporting, accounting, planning and meaningful
budgeting in the management of funds are key service delivery correlates that local governments
must adhere to in order to ameliorate and reverse the trend that is leading financial
decentralization to be a curse. It was recommended therefore that the central government should
have a strategy to see distant things like local governments that are in the rural setting as if they
were close and to take a distant view of close things like municipalities within and around the Capital City.
Description
Original research article
Keywords
Financial reporting, Accounting, Budgeting, Service delivery., Financial management,, Fiscal decentralization
Citation
Kaziba,M.A.,Lubogoyi,B.(2018).The curse of financial decentralization to the upcountry districts in Uganda: the neglected service delivery correlates