Public Sector Accounting and Budgeting

Public Sector Accounting and Budgeting

Determinants of financial deficit in local governments: Evidence from Indonesia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Department of Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of legislature size, budget size, budget changes, and budget performance on the financial deficits of Indonesian local governments. The sample comprises all local governments (districts and cities) that experienced financial deficits in 2022, totaling 280 Indonesian local governments. The samples were selected through a purposive sampling approach. Data were obtained from local government financial reports published by the Indonesian Ministry of Finance. Employing multiple linear regression analysis, the results reveal that legislature size and budget changes exert no significant influence on financial deficits. In contrast, both budget size and budget performance demonstrate a significant impact. These findings indicate that financial deficits in Indonesian local governments are more strongly associated with budgetary factors than with legislative size. Consequently, the Indonesian policymakers should prioritize enhancing budget formulation, execution, and performance management to prevent excessive deficits and promote fiscal sustainability, thereby ensuring more efficient allocation and utilization of public resources.
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  • Receive Date 09 January 2026
  • Revise Date 23 March 2026
  • Accept Date 27 May 2026