THE TIMELINESS OF CORPORATE REPORTING: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOUTH ASIA

This study examines the timeliness of corporate annual reporting in three South Asian countries, namely, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Based on a large sample of 558 annual reports for the year 1998, it is found that around 90% of the companies’ balance sheet end date falls in June and December in Bangladesh, March in India, and June and September in Pakistan. The audit lag is 162 days, 92 days and 145 days in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, respectively. While the audit lag, preliminary lag and total lag are significantly lower in India compared to Bangladesh and Pakistan, a substantial proportion of companies take more time than allowed by the Companies Act in each country. A multivariate regression analysis indicates that financial year-end date is a significant determinant in each country. The size of the audit firm, as measured by the factor loading of audit fees, number of reporting entity audited by an audit firm and international linkage, indicates large audit firms take significantly less time in India and Pakistan. Profitability and corporate size are significant determinants only in Pakistan. There is no statistical evidence to support monitoring hypothesis, as proxied by Zmijeski’s financial condition index. The 2nd stage regression results suggests that only audit lag is significantly associated with the time taken by companies to submit their annual reports to the Stock Exchange and to hold the annual general meeting in each country. The results suggest that timeliness can be improved by reducing the delays in verifying the year-end accounts. Possible explanations for these findings along with limitations and implications are provided.