What is a public sector accountant? Job requirements, public accounting job opportunities

Public accounting does not aim at profit making but reflects accurately, promptly, sufficiently, and methodically on the situation of circulation and use of assets and capital in the public sector.

Public sector accounting is a job in the accounting industry. This job is related to the financial management and recording of agencies and organizations in the public sector of a country. What is a public accountant? What are the responsibilities of public sector accountants? Is becoming a public sector accountant difficult? Let's find them out via the article below from Navigos Search - Vietnam's leading middle and senior-level personnel recruitment brand.

1. What is a public sector accountant? 

A public sector accountant is a person responsible for performing accounting work in organizations, agencies, and units of the administrative sector.

Public sector accountants perform similar tasks to those of business accountants. However, instead of tracking and managing the financial situation of a specific company or business, public sector accountants are responsible for monitoring and managing the financial resources of public organizations and ensuring that public finances are used appropriately and transparently.

There is a close relationship between public finance and public sector accounting.  Public sector accountants occasionally assist in training relevant departments to resolve financial issues that arise smoothly.

What is a public sector accountant? 

2. Responsibilities of public sector accountants?

Responsibilities of a public sector accountant include:

• Record revenue and expenditure transactions of agencies and units.
• Create and track budgets for agencies and units.
• Inspect and supervise the budget and financial implementation of agencies and units.
• Summarize and prepare financial reports for the organization.
• Carry out internal audits and provide relevant financial information to related parties.
• Implement budget revenue and expenditure procedures, including procedures related to administrative, taxes, and public asset management.
• Evaluate the performance of using public budget and assets.
• Engage in contract negotiations with business partners and manage financial issues related to development projects of the agency or unit.
• Participate in financial risk management, protect the budget, and take measures to protect organizations from financial risks, including cost risks and the risk of loss of public assets.
• Propose financial measures, budget, and financial management policies.

3. What is the salary of a public sector accountant?

When public sector accountants work in state agencies, units, organizations and public service units, they are accounting officers. Therefore, their salary is determined according to the State's regulations on income levels for civil servants and public employees, and is included in the professional salary schedule.

With a base salary of VND 1,490,000 per month, the income of public sector accountants is calculated based on the salary regulations of accounting civil servants.

See related information: Is the accountant salary commensurate with the effort extended?

Duties and salary levels of public sector accountants

4. What are the job requirements of public sector accountants?

What are the essential elements of a public sector accountant? Specifically, the job requirements of public sector accountants include:

Professional knowledge

Public sector accounting positions require an understanding of specialized knowledge in the following areas:

•  Public sector accounting: Grasp all aspects of public sector accounting, including accounting for payments, administrative expenses, funding source accounting, administrative revenues, and many other aspects.
•  Public finance: Able to manage finances of public administrative units and local units through the management of State budget revenue and expenditure activities.
•  Business accounting: Understand the principles of accounting and corporate finance
•  Auditing: Has the ability to detect and correct errors in the accounting process, ensuring that accounting complies with prescribed standards.
•  Corporate finance: Understanding how to manage cash flow, capital management, debt collection cycle for businesses and manage the payment of profits and dividends to shareholders.

Skills

What are the necessary skills for a public sector accountant? Below are the crucial skills that public sector accountants must have:

•  Time management skills: Ability to prioritize and manage work effectively to ensure accounting tasks are always performed on time
•  Analytical and problem solving skills: Ability to analyze financial information and solve problems that arise during the implementation of accounting work.
•  Communication skills: Capacity to efficiently and clearly communicate financial accounting information with stakeholders, superiors, and coworkers
•  Internal audit skills: Ability to check and audit internally to ensure accuracy and compliance with accounting and financial regulations.
•  Work ethic skills: Compliance with professional ethical principles and ensure transparency in accounting work.

Public sector accountants must meet professional and skill requirements

5. Where do public sector accountants work?

If you have professional knowledge and skills, you can apply for many positions related to the field of Financial Accounting, including  public and private sectors. Some potential positions in the public sector are:

•  Civil servants at central and local levels, responsible for tasks related to accounting, finance, taxes, customs, and financial resource management.
• Specialist involved in banking and tax-related transactions.
• Financial consultants for businesses, responsible for carrying out financial planning, and supporting the business merger and acquisition process.
• Treasurers, controllers, project managers, and financial managers in public agencies, organizations, and businesses.

In addition, graduates of accounting in general and public sector accounting in particular can work as an accounting lecturer at universities and training establishments related to this industry.

6. Searching accounting jobs at Navigos Search

If you do not pursue a public sector accounting position, you can still work as an internal accountant, chief accountant, warehouse accountant, debt accountant, tax accountant, sales accountant, payment accountant, construction accountant, general accountant, or banking accountant.

You can directly access the job category of Navigos Search - Vietnam's leading middle and senior-level personnel recruitment company to choose a position that suits your abilities and years of experience. Or you can proactively send us your CV to become a potential candidate in our candidate data source and be contacted, advised on recruitment requirements, and shared on salary negotiation.

Find your dream job at Navigos Search

Featuring a team of experienced experts and scientific working processes, we are proud to be the leading digitally reputable middle and senior level human resources recruitment company in Vietnam and confidently offer restaurant management jobs or other most suitable for the candidate.

Above is information that helps you better understand the public sector accounting profession. Navigos Search hopes that this information will help young people understand what a public sector accountant is and have an overview of this career. With the continuous development of the economy, public sector accounting is a job that is predicted to have higher career prospects and opportunities in the coming years, promising to open up attractive prospects for those who pursue it.

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