Australia's COVID-19 public budgeting response: the straitjacket of neoliberalism

PurposeThis paper explores the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in the financial and parliamentary accountability mechanisms of public-private partnership (PPP) “City Hospitals” in Turkey. Diverse and changing accountability mechanisms are explored regarding budgetary, affordability and emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis is a case study of City Hospitals in Turkey. Empirical data are collected and analyzed qualitatively from publicly available government and related sources, Turkish National Audit reports (Sayistay), strategic healthcare investment plans, relevant laws, decrees and NGO reports and news articles.FindingsExisting accountability mechanisms for arranging and/or delivering value-for-money (VfM) in Turkish PPP hospitals are weak. This provided policy makers with more flexibility to manage expectations of its citizens in dealing with COVID-19 pandemic. Political decision makers, through PPPs, created political capital for themselves by engaging in emotional accountability at the expense of better financial and parliamentary accountability.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the literature by articulating how roles of accountability change in crisis and introduces the concept of emotional accountability during a period of heavy infrastructure investments in City Hospitals in Turkey.

Section: Emotional Accountability Of Ppp City Hospitals 889mentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing expectations with emotional accountability: making City Hospitals accountable during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey

Demirag

Fırtın

Bilbil

2020

“…The speed of the pandemic's global spread has led many national governments to declare a state of emergency both to allow them to Accountability in times of exception thoroughly understand the situation and to protect the people. As the disease continued to spread, this state of emergency was characterized by the adoption of various measures, including the limitation of individual freedom, the diversion of goods and services, the closure of public and private facilities and the use of mass-surveillance technologies (Ahrens and Ferry, 2020;Andrew et al, 2020;De Villiers et al, 2020;Nemec and Spa cek, 2020). While they differ in terms of their implementation, these measures are exceptional within most governments' legal frameworks (Nay, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accountability in times of exception: an exploratory study of account-giving practices during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy

Andreaus

Rinaldi

Pesci

et al. 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role of accountability in times of exception. The Italian government's account-giving practices are critically analysed with respect to the distinct modes in which duties of accountability are discharged for the exceptional measures taken during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in early 2020.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on an exploratory case study. The case analysis draws primarily on data obtained through publicly available documents and covers the period between January 1 and August 7, 2020.FindingsThe paper reveals that the Italian government employed various accountability styles (rebuttal, dismissal, reactive, proactive and coactive). Each style influenced both how the government justified its conduct and how it sought to form distinctive relationships with social actors.Originality/valueThe paper uses the notion of “styles of accountability” to empirically illustrate how an unprecedented public governance challenge can reveal broader accountability trends. The paper contributes to accountability research by elucidating how governments tackle ambiguity and uncertainty in their systems of public accountability in extraordinary times.

“…This has put significant pressure on budgetary structures and has led countries to design huge and unprecedented stimulus packages of billions of dollars to boost the economy and support sectors impacted by the pandemic. The accounting literature has begun to explore the nature and impact of these budgetary responses to the COVID-19 pandemic (Andrew, Baker, Guthrie & Martin-Sardesai, 2020;Cho & Kurpierz, 2020;de Villiers, Cerbone & Van Zijl, 2000;Ejiogu, Okechukwu & Ejiogu, 2020;Kim, 2000;Raudla & Douglas, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Egyptian budgetary responses to COVID-19 and their social and economic consequences

Elkhashen

Sarhan

Ejiogu

2020

PurposeThis paper discusses the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the Egyptian economy and Egyptian government's budgetary responses to the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe authors undertake a critical analysis of Egyptian government's economic and social interventions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the funding of these interventions and their short- and long-term implications.FindingsThe analysis shows that the Egyptian government's response to the pandemic will shrink Egypt's fiscal space significantly as increased borrowing and debt service obligations are not offset by the levying of corona tax on salaries and wages. However, increased taxation will impact negatively on poverty. The authors show that social interventions such as cash transfers are not provided at a level which will make an impact on alleviating poverty. The authors highlight increased spending on health as well as the adoption of a gender perspective in the response to the pandemic as positive outcomes with potential for future societal impact.Originality/valueThe authors highlight the Egyptian government's budgetary response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic and social implications of this response.