THE ROLE OF А PUBLIC SECTOR ACCOUNTANT IN THE MODERN SOCIETY

Abstract

The article identifies the role of public sector accountants in creating value for the state and society and suggests ways to improve skills in making professional judgments. Public accountants should provide the necessary information for decisionmaking and check the current activities of public organizations. The accountant of the public sector institution informs the population and allows assessing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the institutions that provide public services. Thus, for an accountant working in public administration, it is essential to provide information primarily to meet the information needs of citizens, NGOs, and society in general, to determine the cost of maintaining these bodies – how much taxpayers work for civil servants. At the same time, despite the existing problems and troubles, the accountant profession is constantly evolving in response to the constant development of socio-economic relations, the introduction of new innovative technologies, and the integration of society, which leads to growth, and organization in solving problems and advocating. Despite this key role of accounting in the public sector, it is underestimated compared to scientific and professional accounting in the corporate sector. The role of higher education institutions is to provide students with the skills necessary not only to enter the profession but also to solve environmental, economic, and social problems. The role of professional accounting organizations is to develop the profession as a whole – both in the private and public sectors. The factors of unfavorable influence on the development of the accounting profession in the public sector are identified, and directions for increasing its prestige are proposed. The acquisition of new knowledge and practical skills and the identification of barriers to the acquisition of relevant skills in accordance with international best practices and standards contribute to the role of accountants in the public sector and increase their social value, especially in the context of international practices.