Annual financial statement: NGX fines FBN holdings, VFD Group, others N76.8m for default
The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) has fined nine quoted companies N76.8 million for failure to file their audited financial statements after the regulatory due date.
An investigation showed that the companies were sanctioned for their inability to meet the regulatory requirements for the year-end 2022 and 2023 financials.
The companies include African Alliance Insurance Plc, VFD Group Plc, FBN Holdings Plc, Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc, UPDC Plc, ABC Transport Plc, Presco Plc, eTranzact International Plc, and NCR (Nigeria) Plc.
Further checks showed African Alliance Insurance Plc with N48.6 million fine for inability to file the 2022 annual financial statement when required.
Others that failed to submit their 2023 annual financials include VFD Group Plc, N5.6 million, FBN Holdings Plc N5.4 million, Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc, N6 million, UPDC Plc, 3.9 million, ABC Transport Plc, N3.2 million, Presco Plc, N3.2 million, eTranzact International Plc, N700,000.00, and NCR (Nigeria) Plc with N200,000.00 fine accounting for a cumulative fine of N76.8 million.
Market operators agreed that the sanction for non-compliance with the rules of listing on NGX is a welcome development, as it will lead to a more appropriate pricing of securities. More quoted entities would be compelled to give information to the market on a timely basis.
Managing Director, Crane Securities Limited,Mike Eze, while reacting to the development said the action of NGX would boost investor confidence in the market because it is sending a signal for investors to get companies’ financial reports as at when due.
He added that investors needed to make informed decisions before choosing which stock to buy and this can only be achieved if there is adherence to good corporate governance by the quoted companies.
According to the founder of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir. Sunny Nwosu, the affected companies were supposed to have ensured that they met the requirements as such would help shareholders to understand their financial health for investment decisions.
“It is not a new thing and it does not come to us as a surprise. We have constantly written to the exchange and raised the issue at annual general meetings that there is a need to know the status of these companies to enable us to take investment positions,” he noted.
Also, the President, Progressive Shareholders Association, Boniface Okezie, said it was better for Nigerians to have a few companies that are ready to play by the rules than to have all the companies in the world that are not ready to satisfy post-listing requirements.
Okezie said that penalising companies for non-compliance with the rules of listing on NGX was a welcome development, as it will lead to more appropriate pricing of securities.
He said more entities would be compelled to give information to the market on a timely basis, adding that investor confidence in the regulatory capacity of NGX and the market would be enhanced.
The Exchange in its X-Compliance report explained that the initiative was designed to maintain market integrity and protect the investors by providing compliance-related information on all listed companies.
The report thus stated that “Companies that are listed on the Exchange are required to adhere to high disclosure standards which are prescribed in Appendix 111 of the Listing Rules.
“Financial information which is periodic disclosure and on-going material events disclosure should be released to The Exchange promptly to enable it efficiently perform its function of maintaining an orderly market.”
