Developing corporate accounting regulation in Libya past and future challenges
Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies
ISSN: 2042-1168
Article publication date: 25 February 2014
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature and development of corporate accounting regulation in Libya.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview methods were used to collect data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with external auditors, financial managers, accounting academics and regulators.
Findings
This paper found general agreement that the accounting regulation of public corporations and banks is strongly influenced by the Libyan Commercial Code and the Income Tax Law. Although listed companies and the banking sector in Libya are required to comply with International Accounting Standards (IASs), the majority of them still comply with the US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP). Moreover, the conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that the enforcement of IASs through the Libyan Accountants and Auditors Association (LAAA), local auditors and the Libyan Stock Market has not achieved its purpose. The results also indicate that the accounting profession in Libya is still in its infancy and still lacks clear structure in order to develop corporate accounting practice and it appears to play only an important role in retaining external influences on the accounting practice. The empirical results of this research show that the Salter and Niswander (1995) criteria (longevity, setting exam and auditors’ opinion on companies’ financial reports) found that the level of professionalism in Libya is below the required standard.
Originality/value
This paper focuses on corporate accounting regulation and practices and the role of the LAAA in the development of corporate accounting in Libya. This paper, therefore, aims to contribute to the literature by examining the corporate accounting regulation in Libya and fills a gap in international accounting research.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Dr Bob McClelland for his support in the analysis data, as well as to the conference reviewers and participants at Bradford University in June 2010 for their useful suggestions and comments.
Citation
El-Firjani, E., Menacere, K. and Pegum, R. (2014), "Developing corporate accounting regulation in Libya past and future challenges", Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 22-56. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAEE-07-2011-0019
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited