The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has directed all publicly listed companies to publish their financial statements on their official websites effective January 2025, emphasising the importance of transparency and timely disclosure.
In a circular issued on Thursday, the SEC warned that non-compliance with the directive would attract sanctions.
According to the Commission, the directive aims to ensure seamless public access to financial information, which is critical for making sound investment decisions.
The circular stated, “The Securities and Exchange Commission has observed that public companies file their periodic returns with the Commission and relevant securities exchanges without simultaneously publishing them on their websites.
“This omission is a contravention of Rules 39 and 41 of the Commission’s Rules and Regulations.”
The SEC noted that while public companies routinely submit their financial returns to regulatory bodies, many fail to make these documents accessible to the investing public via their websites.
The commission also stressed that this lack of accessibility undermines investor confidence and violates disclosure requirements.
Highlighting the importance of timely disclosures, the SEC stated, “The rationale for the publication of periodic returns on their websites is to provide seamless access by the public to such information, which would serve as a guide to making sound investment decisions.
“It is also important to reiterate in this regard that timely disclosures remain a key component of shareholders’ engagement.”
