Public Address of the President of the Republic, Sebastián Piñera, at the National Congress. Photo: Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile, CC BY-SA 3.0 cl / Wikipedia
Over successive governments, Chile had built a strong reputation for fiscal discipline, but recent social unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic had put pressure on the government to relax strict rules on spending. Finance Minister Ignacio Briones needed to determine the level and financing of a substantial new Covid-relief package while ensuring the country remained able to respond to future emergencies and without undermining the country’s already weakening commitment to fiscal responsibility.
This case allows students to explore both the practice and the politics of government accounting.
Please note: this case study is also available as an interactive digital case. To access this version, please email casecentre@bsg.ox.ac.uk.
1-2 hours
Learning Objectives:
- Learn, apply and evaluate the principles of accrual-basis accounting in government accounting;
- Understand the challenges and opportunities of building and sustaining a culture of fiscal responsibility;
- Develop strategies for building support for difficult decisions during crises.