Cover
Volume 7, Special Issue 5 (2026)

Published: September 30, 2026

Pages: 29-39

Research Article

The role of accounting in promoting sustainable economic development through program and performance budgeting: An applied study in the Iraqi public sector

Alyaa A. ALfatlawi 1
1Accounting Department, College of Management and Economics, Al Safwa University, Karbala, Iraq
History
  • Received: July 26, 2026
  • Accepted: August 28, 2026
  • Available Online: September 30, 2026
DOI

https://doi.org/10.56967/ejfb2026947

Abstract

This research aims to demonstrate the role of accounting as a strategic tool for achieving sustainable economic development through the adoption of program and performance budgeting. It also seeks to clarify how to bridge the gap between the allocation of financial resources and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by transitioning from a traditional, input-based budget to one focused on measurable results and outputs. The research methodology comprises two aspects: the first is a theoretical and inductive approach, relying on previous studies and research on the topic; the second is an applied approach, involving the distribution of a paper questionnaire to a sample of accountants in the Najaf and Kufa Education Directorates in 2026, yielding 100 respondents. The hypothesis was tested using the SPSS statistical software. The results revealed a strong correlation between the effectiveness of the accounting role and the application of performance budgeting in promoting the dimensions of sustainable development. The research demonstrated that the role of accounting in supporting performance budgeting can explain changes in the level of achieving sustainable development, reflecting the fundamental importance of this role. Program and performance budgeting, through the activation of the accounting role, contributes to providing precise standards for measuring the efficiency of public spending, thus helping to overcome the shortcomings of traditional budgeting, which often encouraged waste.

Keywords

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