miniddy的部落格

The best annual reports go beyond ticking the mandatory boxes, reports TEH SHI NINGSHAREHOLDERS are now curious about more than the financial results and ratios of the company they invest in.自存倉 They want to know about the company's leaders - and how they are paid. They want a candid assessment of long-term plans and prospects. And increasingly, they want to know about the environmental and social aspects of the company's operations.Prizing the annual report as an important means of putting such information into investors' hands is a common reason why the listed companies with the best annual reports in Singapore choose to go beyond ticking the mandatory boxes."We view it as a strategic document, not merely as a statutory requirement. We recognise that this is a document for our shareholders and as shareholders, they have the right to know and understand our business," says Sidney Chew, executive chairman and managing director of specialty chemicals firm MegaChem Ltd, one of the smaller-cap winners of this year's Best Annual Report award at the Singapore Corporate Awards.This means including details which the company is not obliged to disclose but which are of interest to shareholders. For instance, ST Engineering now publishes its productivity savings and customer satisfaction rates in its annual report.Other large companies such as Sembcorp Marine and Keppel Corporation have led the way in sustainability reporting in particular. Both report on various social, economic and environmental indicators in line with the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. In fact, Keppel Corporation produces a standalone GRI-compliant sustainability report too.Such sustainability reporting allows Sembcorp Marine shareholders, for instance, to learn how the company manages energy, water, air qu迷你倉新蒲崗lity and materials usage.If the annual report is meant to serve its readers, being reader-friendly is key. Hence, while a "letter to the shareholders" or an overview is common in many annual reports, some companies - from Keppel to the much smaller OKP Holdings - have adopted a more accessible question-and-answer format for an interview with their respective CEOs.Design and layout can make readers' search for information easier too. "The strategic use of illustrations, graphics and charts helps to present complex data in a more easily understood and compelling way. When used sparingly, these not only help to grab readers' attention but also help focus them on key information," says Wang Look Fung, director of group corporate affairs, Keppel Corporation. Keppel Telecommunications and Transportation and Keppel Reit picked up awards for their annual reports as well.Companies are also responding to the growing number of investors who prefer to access annual reports electronically. Keppel added more intuitive flash menus to the CDs it distributes to shareholders, while Mega-Chem uses a flip-book format for easier navigation of its digital version. It also plans to make its digital annual report more interactive, by adding videos.The annual report can also serve as a form of branding and marketing. "As the annual report is usually one of the first impressions a potential investor gets, a good quality report speaks highly of the company behind it," says Del Monte Pacific chief financial officer Ignacio Sison.But meeting the rising demand for more disclosure can be a deft tightrope walk. "We try to maintain a balance between additional voluntary disclosure that lends insight to our business and the need for business confidentiality in a highly competitive environment," says Mr Chew.迷你倉出租