| Abstract: |
Computerised databases and the Internet have recently made publication of
company accounts potentially less costly and more useful, thanks to electronic
filing and universal online access to credit information systems. These
developments advise against simplification policies that would reduce the
scope of mandatory publication. Instead, they encourage policies pursuing a
broader efficiency goal, achievable by reducing costs and enhancing value
through administrative reforms of filing, archive and retrieval systems.
Survey and registry evidence on how the information in the accounts is valued
and used by firms fully supports these claims. |