Preliminary Insights on the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the perceptions of accountants regarding the possible adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for SMEs in Pakistan. IFRS for SMEs were issued by the IASB in 2009. The adoption of the IFRS for SMEs in Pakistan has been proposed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and in 2015 the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved the adoption of the 'International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium Sized Entities. We conducted seven semi-structured interviews with the chartered accountants based in Multan that were providing accounting and consultancy services to various SMEs. The findings of the research confirmed the reasonable level of awareness among chartered accountants regarding IFRS for SME. Our respondents perceive high-quality comparable financial information as the most significant advantage of applying IFRS for SMEs whereas cost burdens on firms and lack of trained personnel were perceived as major obstacles for the adoption decision. The findings also suggest that diligent IFRS awareness and training programs must be organized by all regulatory and professional bodies (like SECP and ICAP) on both country and firm level to achieve the true purpose of this adoption.

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