The role of digital accounting technologies in improving financial control in public sector units in Iraq

Abstract

This research aims to study the role of digital accounting technologies in improving financial control in Iraqi public sector entities by testing main hypotheses related to the extent of the impact of manual accounting and digital accounting technologies on the efficiency of financial control in public sector entities. The research also seeks to provide a scientific and practical overview on how to move from manual accounting to digital accounting, while identifying the difficulties of this transformation in the Iraqi environment. To achieve the research objective, a questionnaire was formulated and distributed to a selected group of academics and professionals who possess sufficient experience and academic qualifications. The sample included (144) individuals. After analyzing the results, it was concluded that traditional (manual) accounting suffers from several weak points that could negatively affect the control of public spending. The results also concluded that adopting digital accounting technologies would contribute to improving financial control in public sector units by reducing the chances of tampering with records, enhancing the transparency of financial operations, tracking cash flow, and identifying any deviations in the implementation of budget items, in addition to the government’s ability to conduct proactive control. The research concluded with a set of recommendations represented by the necessity of applying digital accounting technologies, investing in digital technical infrastructure, and emphasizing the enhancement of coordination and joint work between the relevant authorities by holding a number of courses and seminars that clarify the importance of adopting these technologies to ensure their application in public sector units.