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Digg it UP - Corporate Governance and Accounting Standards in Oman: An Empirical Study on Practices
E-Procurement is the process of purchasing goods electronically. The various stages of electronic procurement include identifying vendors or suppliers, placing orders and the arrival of goods. E-procurement helps to improve the efficiency of the purchase process and decreases the cost involved in traditional purchasing. Most of the paper work is eliminated, thereby cutting the cost and time required reaping benefits often to the tune of millions of dollars.Studies indicate that a firm can enjoy returns that may measure up to 300% of the initial investment in just three years. The increasing number of success stories point to the growing recognition of e-procurement advantages. This indicates an increased optimism towards automation in spite of the slowing down of global economy. Some companies have adopted automation at all stages of the supply process to maximize e-procurement benefits.E-procurement is mostly employed in purchasing small and less expensive items such as office stationery. The traditional approach is still preferred for more expensive products such as complex engineering machinery. However, companies are increasingly recognizing the benefits of online sourcing. Online goods procurement helps organizations to sketch out optimized plans for managing the supply chain. E-procurement advantages not only include saving money but also the simplification of the whole process. The optimized plans can be communicated quickly to the suppliers thereby reducing cost and wastages usually involved in the supply chain. The advantages of e-procurement include a reduction of overheads such as purchase agents, effective control of inventories, and the overall improvement of the manufacturing cycle.
In Oman, though the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), interpretations issued by the Standing Interpretation Committee of the IASC and the requirements of the Commercial Companies Law of the Sultanate of Oman and the disclosure requirements set out in the rules for disclosure issued by the Capital Market Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, the disclosure is inadequate and is a negative phenomenon to a country which wishes to be strengthened further, because it cannot hope to tap the GDR market with inadequate financial disclosures, since the more transparent activities of a company governed by the proper accounting standards, the more accurately will its securities be valued(5).
The Intern
Belize is a democratic, politically and economically stable Central American country - facts which offer potential investors and companies looking for incorporation services the peace of mind required when it comes to their consideration of the jurisdiction. These business types require special licensing. The country is committed to remaining 100% attractive in terms of its ability to secure the privacy and wealth management of international companies who choose to incorporate and/or bank offshore in Belize. Shareholders and directors can be the same person or corporate entity, there is only one shareholder and director required, they do not need to reside locally in Belize and nominee shareholders and directors can be appointed. Belize international business companies have many benefits and this article provides an overview of the most relevant and pertinent features.Simply put, offshore company incorporation in Belize is not only easy, it is highly effective when it comes to overall tax reduction planning and securing privacy. There is no company secretary required, nor is there a requirement for separate shareholders and directors. The country is committed to remaining 100% attractive in terms of its ability to secure the privacy and wealth management of international companies who choose to incorporate and/or bank offshore in Belize. When it comes to the taxation of an offshore company incorporated in Belize there is really only one thing to know and that is an offshore IBC is exempt from all taxes and stamp duty! Belize is a democratic, politically and economically stable Central American country - facts which offer potential investors and companies looking for incorporation services the peace of mind required when it comes to their consideration of the jurisdiction.The structure of a Belize IBC is totally non-restrictive. Shareholders and directors can be the same person or corporate entity, there is only one shareholder and director required, they do not need to reside locally in Belize and nominee shareholders and directors can be appointed. These business types require sp
In recent years, the Oman economy has undergone a number of reforms, resulting in a more market-oriented economy. Particularly, the financial impetus extended by the Sultanate of Oman had signaled the beginning of a positive trend. The size of Oman industry is becoming much bigger and the expectations of various concerned parties are also increasing, which can be satisfied only by good Corporate Governance.
The importance of good Corporate Governance has also been increasingly recognized by the industry for improving the firms’ competitiveness, better corporate performance and better relationship with all stakeholders(1). In oman also the industries have obliged to reform their principles of Governance, for which, Oman companies will now be required to make more and more elaborate disclosures than have been making hitherto. This necessiates to adhere to the uniform and proper accounting standards, as the standards reduce discretion, discrepancy and enhances not only the degree of transparency in sharing of information with the parties concerned but also reinforces the broader role the directors need to play for achieving Corporate objectives in the midst of challenges and adversities.
Here, the Corporate Governance is a voluntary, ethical code of business concerned with the morals, ethics, values, parameters, conduct and behavior of the company and its management. The corporate responsibility begins with the directors who are the mind and soul of a firm.
The Board is expected to act as conscience-keeper of the corporate vision and mission, and devise the right type of systems for organizational effectiveness and satisfaction of stakeholders. Thus, the Corporate Governance is a system of accountability primarily directed towards the shareholders in addition to maximizing the shareholders’ welfare(2), where the debate on disclosure/ transparency issues of Corporate Governance eventually centres around the proper accounting standards and their practices and issues, as the application of accounting standards give a lot of confidence to the corporate management and make the disclosure more effective and ensure the good Corporate Governance to promote a healthy investment climate.
Thus, the study of practices of accounting standards is an important and relevant issue of good Corporate Governance in the present environment, as the standards are viewed as a technical response to call for better financial accounting and reporting; or as a reflection of a society’s changing expectations of corporate behavior and a vehicle in social and political monitoring and control of the enterprise(3).
STUDY:
The old ways of selective and conservative reporting is yielding place to more transparent and voluntary disclosures, in tune with the changing times. There is no alternative to adopting by the corporate entities of new standards of accountability, where the accountability is largely a matter of disclosure, of transparency, of explaining a company’s activities to those to whom the company has responsibilities(4) i.e. the disclosure in simple, understandable and comparable form, forms clearly the basis for accountability, which can be provided only if companies adopt uniform accounting policies and disclose adequate information about the accounting standards followed. Thus, accounting standards ensure the comprehensive disclosure of the corporate's accountability, which may be regarded as a prime issue and a pre requisite for good Corporate Governance.
An examination of practices of accounting standards, and their issues in Oman industry may help to understand the existing practices of accounting standards, which in turn help in designing the effective standard practices so as to ensure good Corporate Governance leading to a healthy investment environment.
In this context, an attempt is made here to examine the accounting standards and their practices in Oman, with a view to strengthen the accounting standards and improve their practices for good Corporate Governance. The data for the study are obtained from the annual reports (published during 2001-’02) of ten Omani companies of different nature, selected from the top companies in terms of assets. The sample consisted of 6 private and 4 public companies. The simple per centage method is used to analyze the data. The authenticity of the data is verified with the opinions of management, who are aware of the company affairs and Corporate Governance. The corporates’ perceptions on the relevance of accounting standards for good Corporate Governance in the context of Oman are also examined.
STANDARDS IN OMAN:
In any country, the awareness and competitiveness among the corporates would be strengthened when they understand each other and compare their performance, for which the simple, understandable and comparable disclosure is an important instrument. The main objective of disclosure would be fulfilled and the utility of the disclosure towards good Corporate Governance would be improved when the disclosure is done on the basis of uniform and consistent accounting standards. Thus, the development and the practice of uniform accounting standards has become an essential ingredient of Corporate Governance and the various bodies have been contributing their wisdom to strengthen the standards to make the Corporate Governance more effective in the context of the changing corporate environment. The corporate management is also now feeling the pressure for reforming accounting practices and level of transparency emanating from alert lenders, regulatory agencies, financial analysts and above all, board of directors who realize that it is the quality of information which will determine how efficiently they have discharged their responsibilities towards the good Corporate Governance.
In Oman, though the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), interpretations issued by the Standing Interpretation Committee of the IASC and the requirements of the Commercial Companies Law of the Sultanate of Oman and the disclosure requirements set out in the rules for disclosure issued by the Capital Market Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, the disclosure is inadequate and is a negative phenomenon to a country which wishes to be strengthened further, because it cannot hope to tap the GDR market with inadequate financial disclosures, since the more transparent activities of a company governed by the proper accounting standards, the more accurately will its securities be valued(5).
The Interna
Remember in two previous articles we talked about sustainable marketing and 4 ways your stationery was killing the environment? And by the way costing you more money too!In the most recent article we talked about the way stationery is printed affects the environment. Now I want to talk about how you can market more sustainably and save money at the same time! Hurrah! What Can You Do For Marketing Sustainability? There are a number of routes to sustainability success. These include the following: Using PDF for brochures, reports and pitches Using webinars to impart information to clients, suppliers, teams, prospects ... Making more use of integrated (and targeted) email Using cleaned mailing lists Cleaning in-house mailing lists Using environmentally friendly materials, such as papers and ink Use e-billing for accounts to clients Encourage clients with environmentally friendly solutions Using vendors that use sustainable methods to produce artwork, printed material, web sites, video and advertising. Any of these not only use more sustainable marketing they also save money too.Let me use a couple of them to explain how they help sustainable marketing.Using PDF For Brochures Using PDF format for brochures means clients can quickly change their brochure to reflect what they’ve discussed with their prospect. The prospect gets it via email as soon as it’s completed and drives the whole buying process much more quickly.Orienting the brochure to the prospect gives the relationship more impact. The prospect sees the agency understands their unique situation. It’s also easier for the prospect to send the brochure around their organisation for discussion.There are other ways to get even more buy in with a PDF brochure but I’ll leave that to your imagination.And the net result a massive saving in printing costs and much more flexibility in use.e-Billing Is Better In November 2006 Britis
The Board is expected to act as conscience-keeper of the corporate vision and mission, and devise the right type of systems for organizational effectiveness and satisfaction of stakeholders. Thus, the Corporate Governance is a system of accountability primarily directed towards the shareholders in addition to maximizing the shareholders’ welfare(2), where the debate on disclosure/ transparency issues of Corporate Governance eventually centres around the proper accounting standards and their practices and issues, as the application of accounting standards give a lot of confidence to the corporate management and make the disclosure more effective and ensure the good Corporate Governance to promote a healthy investment climate.
Thus, the study of practices of accounting standards is an important and relevant issue of good Corporate Governance in the present environment, as the standards are viewed as a technical response to call for better financial accounting and reporting; or as a reflection of a society’s changing expectations of corporate behavior and a vehicle in social and political monitoring and control of the enterprise(3).
STUDY:
The old ways of selective and conservative reporting is yielding place to more transparent and voluntary disclosures, in tune with the changing times. There is no alternative to adopting by the corporate entities of new standards of accountability, where the accountability is largely a matter of disclosure, of transparency, of explaining a company’s activities to those to whom the company has responsibilities(4) i.e. the disclosure in simple, understandable and comparable form, forms clearly the basis for accountability, which can be provided only if companies adopt uniform accounting policies and disclose adequate information about the accounting standards followed. Thus, accounting standards ensure the comprehensive disclosure of the corporate's accountability, which may be regarded as a prime issue and a pre requisite for good Corporate Governance.
An examination of practices of accounting standards, and their issues in Oman industry may help to understand the existing practices of accounting standards, which in turn help in designing the effective standard practices so as to ensure good Corporate Governance leading to a healthy investment environment.
In this context, an attempt is made here to examine the accounting standards and their practices in Oman, with a view to strengthen the accounting standards and improve their practices for good Corporate Governance. The data for the study are obtained from the annual reports (published during 2001-’02) of ten Omani companies of different nature, selected from the top companies in terms of assets. The sample consisted of 6 private and 4 public companies. The simple per centage method is used to analyze the data. The authenticity of the data is verified with the opinions of management, who are aware of the company affairs and Corporate Governance. The corporates’ perceptions on the relevance of accounting standards for good Corporate Governance in the context of Oman are also examined.
STANDARDS IN OMAN:
In any country, the awareness and competitiveness among the corporates would be strengthened when they understand each other and compare their performance, for which the simple, understandable and comparable disclosure is an important instrument. The main objective of disclosure would be fulfilled and the utility of the disclosure towards good Corporate Governance would be improved when the disclosure is done on the basis of uniform and consistent accounting standards. Thus, the development and the practice of uniform accounting standards has become an essential ingredient of Corporate Governance and the various bodies have been contributing their wisdom to strengthen the standards to make the Corporate Governance more effective in the context of the changing corporate environment. The corporate management is also now feeling the pressure for reforming accounting practices and level of transparency emanating from alert lenders, regulatory agencies, financial analysts and above all, board of directors who realize that it is the quality of information which will determine how efficiently they have discharged their responsibilities towards the good Corporate Governance.
In Oman, though the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), interpretations issued by the Standing Interpretation Committee of the IASC and the requirements of the Commercial Companies Law of the Sultanate of Oman and the disclosure requirements set out in the rules for disclosure issued by the Capital Market Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, the disclosure is inadequate and is a negative phenomenon to a country which wishes to be strengthened further, because it cannot hope to tap the GDR market with inadequate financial disclosures, since the more transparent activities of a company governed by the proper accounting standards, the more accurately will its securities be valued(5).
The Intern
Are you a business owner who runs a business that is set in an office setting? If so, how does your office get cleaned? Do you have your traditional employees clean your office in their spare time or do you do the cleaning or do you have your own onsite janitor? If so, you may want to reevaluate the way that your office is getting cleaned. If you haven’t heard of a Dallas office cleaning company before, which is also sometimes referred to as a Dallas cleaning service, you are advised to look into it more. After a close examination, you will see that there are a number of benefits to using the services of a professional Dallas office cleaning company.One of the many reasons why you should think about hiring the services of a professional Dallas office cleaning company is the results. To actually be considered a professional Dallas office cleaning company, the company in question must have some experience or at least their employees must have some experience. This experience often translates to on the job experience. Essentially, this means that the employees of a Dallas office cleaning company have experience cleaning offices, just like yours. For you, this means that you should get professional results. Whether you are cleaning your own office now or if you are just letting one of your employees do it in their spare time, it is likely that a good job is being done, but with a professional cleaning company an even better job could be done.In addition to giving professional results, hiring the services of a Dallas cleaning service can also save you time. That is just another one of the many reason why you should think about hiring the services of a professional Dallas office cleaning company. Since most cleaning company employees have experience, they often know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it quickly, but efficiently. This means that the same cleaning tasks, which you or one of your other employees could be doing, could be done in much less time. It is also important to note that, by hiring a Dallas office cleaning company, you or your other employees can
The old ways of selective and conservative reporting is yielding place to more transparent and voluntary disclosures, in tune with the changing times. There is no alternative to adopting by the corporate entities of new standards of accountability, where the accountability is largely a matter of disclosure, of transparency, of explaining a company’s activities to those to whom the company has responsibilities(4) i.e. the disclosure in simple, understandable and comparable form, forms clearly the basis for accountability, which can be provided only if companies adopt uniform accounting policies and disclose adequate information about the accounting standards followed. Thus, accounting standards ensure the comprehensive disclosure of the corporate's accountability, which may be regarded as a prime issue and a pre requisite for good Corporate Governance.
An examination of practices of accounting standards, and their issues in Oman industry may help to understand the existing practices of accounting standards, which in turn help in designing the effective standard practices so as to ensure good Corporate Governance leading to a healthy investment environment.
In this context, an attempt is made here to examine the accounting standards and their practices in Oman, with a view to strengthen the accounting standards and improve their practices for good Corporate Governance. The data for the study are obtained from the annual reports (published during 2001-’02) of ten Omani companies of different nature, selected from the top companies in terms of assets. The sample consisted of 6 private and 4 public companies. The simple per centage method is used to analyze the data. The authenticity of the data is verified with the opinions of management, who are aware of the company affairs and Corporate Governance. The corporates’ perceptions on the relevance of accounting standards for good Corporate Governance in the context of Oman are also examined.
STANDARDS IN OMAN:
In any country, the awareness and competitiveness among the corporates would be strengthened when they understand each other and compare their performance, for which the simple, understandable and comparable disclosure is an important instrument. The main objective of disclosure would be fulfilled and the utility of the disclosure towards good Corporate Governance would be improved when the disclosure is done on the basis of uniform and consistent accounting standards. Thus, the development and the practice of uniform accounting standards has become an essential ingredient of Corporate Governance and the various bodies have been contributing their wisdom to strengthen the standards to make the Corporate Governance more effective in the context of the changing corporate environment. The corporate management is also now feeling the pressure for reforming accounting practices and level of transparency emanating from alert lenders, regulatory agencies, financial analysts and above all, board of directors who realize that it is the quality of information which will determine how efficiently they have discharged their responsibilities towards the good Corporate Governance.
In Oman, though the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), interpretations issued by the Standing Interpretation Committee of the IASC and the requirements of the Commercial Companies Law of the Sultanate of Oman and the disclosure requirements set out in the rules for disclosure issued by the Capital Market Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, the disclosure is inadequate and is a negative phenomenon to a country which wishes to be strengthened further, because it cannot hope to tap the GDR market with inadequate financial disclosures, since the more transparent activities of a company governed by the proper accounting standards, the more accurately will its securities be valued(5).
The Intern
Leisure time is more important than ever before. It is increasingly likely that both partners in a household are working full time; commuting adds to the burden of the daily routine, whether to school or to work. There is also the increasing danger of sedentary occupations, producing the demand for active leisure or ‘recreation’. More working time is spent every year sitting in front of a computer terminal or on the telephone, followed by driving home or sitting in a train. At home, the temptation is greater than ever before to sit in front of the widescreen television, with its superb picture and sound, or to spend hours on the Internet or playing electronic games.To satisfy the demand for activities that break into the sedentary pattern, there is a vast range available both inside and outside the home. In total, the leisure and recreation market as defined by this Market Review involved consumer spending of ?83.93bn in 2004, according to Keynote which gave leisure and recreation an 11.5% share of all UK consumer spending. This share has not been increasing, although the trends for each type of leisure activity vary widely. The largest markets in 2004 were: eating out and drinking out; home viewing, covering both goods and services (television sets, Sky subscriptions, the Licence Fee, etc.); DIY and gardening goods; and gambling (including the National Lottery).Other, smaller leisure markets include reading, home computing and electronic games, sport and exercise, home listening and commercial entertainment or culture outside the home, including cinemas.Of course, financial expenditure is not the only factor influencing leisure and recreational choices; they are also affected by the amount of leisure time available and how consumers choose to ‘spend’ that time. Research carried out by BMRB Access on behalf of Key Note in July 2005, revealed that watching television, video cassettes (VCs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs) retained its place as the dominant leisure activity both at weekends and in the evenings.83% of adults claim to enjoy watching ‘the box’ as a leisu
STANDARDS IN OMAN:
In any country, the awareness and competitiveness among the corporates would be strengthened when they understand each other and compare their performance, for which the simple, understandable and comparable disclosure is an important instrument. The main objective of disclosure would be fulfilled and the utility of the disclosure towards good Corporate Governance would be improved when the disclosure is done on the basis of uniform and consistent accounting standards. Thus, the development and the practice of uniform accounting standards has become an essential ingredient of Corporate Governance and the various bodies have been contributing their wisdom to strengthen the standards to make the Corporate Governance more effective in the context of the changing corporate environment. The corporate management is also now feeling the pressure for reforming accounting practices and level of transparency emanating from alert lenders, regulatory agencies, financial analysts and above all, board of directors who realize that it is the quality of information which will determine how efficiently they have discharged their responsibilities towards the good Corporate Governance.
In Oman, though the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), interpretations issued by the Standing Interpretation Committee of the IASC and the requirements of the Commercial Companies Law of the Sultanate of Oman and the disclosure requirements set out in the rules for disclosure issued by the Capital Market Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, the disclosure is inadequate and is a negative phenomenon to a country which wishes to be strengthened further, because it cannot hope to tap the GDR market with inadequate financial disclosures, since the more transparent activities of a company governed by the proper accounting standards, the more accurately will its securities be valued(5).
The Intern
Upper Saddle River, N.J. - December 2004 - Compensation Resources, Inc. has released the results of its 2004 Year-End Compensation Survey. The purpose of this study was to obtain compensation data used for trending and planning purposes at companies of all sizes and shapes. Data was compiled from survey questions that were developed by CRI and distributed to companies in over 14 industrial classifications, in addition to Not-for-Profit organizations. The survey sampled year-end compensation data from a variety of organizations, collected in October and November 2004.Results indicated that the average merit/salary increase for all employee functional groups was 3.9% in 2004, and 3.8% is the average projected merit/salary increase for all groups in 2005. Companies that have more than 10,000 employees showed the lowest merit/salary increases in 2004 and projected 2005 among all other company sizes. Among all survey participants, the number of layoffs, hiring freezes, and salary freezes are expected to decrease from 2004 to 2005. Results indicated that target awards for Short-Term Incentive Plans are much higher in Publicly-Traded companies as opposed to Privately-Held companies and Not-for-Profit companies. Results also revealed that target awards as a percentage of base salary increase as revenues increase. Overall, in terms of Long-Term Incentive Plans, Non-Qualified Stock Options are the most commonly provided plans, which are closely followed by cash bonuses. Stock Appreciation Rights are the least commonly used Long-Term Incentive Plans. Results also indicated that companies with higher revenues provide many more Long-Term Incentive Plans than companies with lower revenues. Overall, in terms of the Compensation Package Mix, base salary makes up the largest percentage of the mix, followed by Long-Term Incentives and then Annual Bonus/Incentives. During the months of November and December 2004, CRI surveyed 104 companies online to inquire about their year-end 2004 bonuses. 43.3% of the companies indicated that their bonuses would be higher than they were in 2003. In a sim
In Oman, though the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), interpretations issued by the Standing Interpretation Committee of the IASC and the requirements of the Commercial Companies Law of the Sultanate of Oman and the disclosure requirements set out in the rules for disclosure issued by the Capital Market Authority of the Sultanate of Oman, the disclosure is inadequate and is a negative phenomenon to a country which wishes to be strengthened further, because it cannot hope to tap the GDR market with inadequate financial disclosures, since the more transparent activities of a company governed by the proper accounting standards, the more accurately will its securities be valued(5).
The International Accounting Standards followed in Oman industry are Presentation of Financial Statements (IAS 1); Inventories (IAS 2); Cash Flow Statements (IAS 7); Net Profit or Loss for the period (IAS 8); Fundamental Errors & Changes in Accounting policies (IAS 9); Events After the Balancesheet Date (IAS 10); Construction Contracts (IAS 11); Income Taxes (IAS 12); Segment Reporting (IAS 14); Effects of Changing Prices (IAS 15); Property, Plant and Equipment (IAS 16); Leases (IAS 17); Revenue (IAS 18); Employment Benefits (IAS 19); Accounting for Govt. Grants & Govt. Assistance (IAS 20); Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates (IAS 21); Business Combinations (IAS 22); Borrowing Costs (IAS 23); Related Party Disclosures (IAS 24); Retirement Benefit Plans (IAS 26); Consolidated Financial Statements (IAS 27); Investments in Associates (IAS 28), Hyperinflationary Economies (IAS 29); Banks & Similar Financial Institutions (IAS 30); Interests in Joint Ventures (IAS 31); Financial Instruments: Disclosure & Presentation (IAS 32); Earnings Per Share (IAS 33); Interim Financial Reporting (IAS 34); Discontinuing Operations (IAS 35); Impairment of Assets (IAS 36); Provisions, Contingent Liabilities & Assets (IAS 37); Intangible Assets (IAS 38); Financial Instruments: Recognition & Measurement (IAS 39); Investment Property (IAS 40); Agriculture (IAS 41).
Though the Oman industry has been following all the International Accounting Standards, in practice, some of them are not free from criticism due to certain inherent weaknesses. The practices of these standards in the Oman industries and the gaps are discussed in what follows with a view to strengthen them for ensuring the good Corporate Governance.
PRACTICES:
The primary and secondary data collected from the select companies are carefully examined to find the extent of compliance with the accounting standards and issues in corporate practices. Some of the important findings are as follows:
i) Perceptions on the relevance of Accounting Standards for Corporate Governance: Except one sample of private companies which has not disclosed its opinion, all others (90% of the sample) have expressed the accounting standards as more relevant for Corporate Governance.
ii) Practices of Accounting Policies Disclosed in Annual Reports: The majority of the sample companies (80%) disclosed twenty to twenty five policies and the remaining is equally distributed between less than twenty and more than twenty five standards disclosed by the select companies. All the select public limited companies have complied with twenty to twenty five accounting standards.
iii) Practices of Inventory Valuation: The sample companies have adopted either the lower of cost or net realisable value or moving average methods for the inventory valuation.
iv) Practices of Preparation of Cash Flow Statement: All the select companies have presented cash flow and changes in equity statements.
v) Corporate Practices of Depreciation: The study revealed that the majority of the sample companies (90%) have followed straight line method for the computation of depreciation and the remaining followed diminishing value method. Further examination revealed that all sample public companies followed the straight line method of depreciation.
vi) Practices of Construction Contracts: The sample consists of one construction company, which has followed per cent of completion method.
vii) Practices of Research & Development: None of the select companies has disclosed the expenditure on research and development.
viii) Practices of other Standards: The study revealed that the accounting practices related to fundamental errors and changes, effects of changing prices, business combinations, hyperinflationary economies, financial statements of banks and similar financial institutions and agriculture were not disclosed by any of the select companies as the companies are not concerned with such activities.
From the analyses of practices and general discussions, some of prime issues of accounting standards in the context of Oman are identified and presented here under in brief.
ISSUES:
i) Disclosure of Accounting Policies is followed by most of the sample companies, since it is mandatory. The items stated under accounting policies or notes are more or less same in all the concerns selected for the study, but the treatment of some items were not similar to the other concerns.
The requirement of the disclosure standard is only to disclose the material facts, what is the material or immaterial it would be decided by the organization, where the influence of personal judgement is expected in the absence of concrete guidelines. Therefore, the existence of the standard is doubtful.
ii) In few accounting standards, such as, valuation of inventories and depreciation accounting, the alternative accounting treatment is allowed. This kind of flexibility creates problems in judging the quality and reliability of financial statements of an enterprise and the different methods are followed for different companies or for different periods, the possibility of inter-unit, intra-industry or inter-period comparison is impaired. The lack of comparability renders the financial information less useful and creates confusion in the minds of the
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