This paper summarises the proposal for a framework for the cost information from the public sector. The proposal derives from contributions provided by the Brazilian central government, on two separate occasions and from two different working teams. The first dates back to 2005 and was presented in the final report of the Interministerial Committee. The second was coordinated by the Ministry of Finance in 2008-2009. These contributions were analysed in accordance with critical papers presented to the academic audience with regards to the framework for financial accounting issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and Financial Accounting Standards Board, and through the lens of the international literature related to the adoption of cost accounting systems in the public sector. Brazilian legislation requires the adoption of such information systems since 1964, although only now it is object of a work conducted by the Finance Ministry, which first results will become available this year. In 2004 the Brazilian Court of Audit issued a decision enforcing legislation - that may improve the number entities adopting a cost accounting system. But adoption is not enough, public managers shall use the information provided by the system - the use cannot efficiently enforced by law, it is a function of the relevance identified by potential users. It is suggested that the adoption of the cost information system and the use of its information in the Brazilian public sector should be a consequence of a gradual and flexibly implementation process, based on the accrual basis of accounting and on only one framework shared by all entities.
framework; cost; information system; public sector