Simulating of the influence of fiscal regime adjustment on marginal oil field’s investment climate in Malaysia

The need for improved governance of oil and gas sector and sustainability of production coupled with increasing number of stranded marginal oil fields mandated Malaysian authorities to adjust the fields’ fiscal regime.The new regime came with special incentives, and changed the fiscal arrangement from production sharing contract to risk service contract.The influence of the new regime in comparison to the old one on marginal oil fields’ investment climate was simulated under nine different scenarios relating to oil prices and reserves levels.Using internal rate of return, it was found that the fiscal regime under risk service contract has more favorable investment climate in majority of the scenarios- with exception to those relating to high oil prices, which fiscal regime under production sharing contract is more favorable.As implication for policy, to make the new fiscal regime more attractive under the risk service contract, contractors’ remuneration fee should be attached not only to performance but also to high oil price. In essence, incentives given to contractors should be higher during soared oil prices. Concern should be made for the assumptions employed while applying the results for a decision

Audit Committee Characteristics and Voluntary Disclosure: Evidence from Malaysian Listed Firms

Global economic crisis in 2008 has increased the focus on the role of audit committee in ensuring integrity and transparency in corporate reporting. Audit committee characteristics are crucial in determining the ability of audit committee in carrying out its responsibilities effectively. Hence, this study aims to investigate the contribution of audit committee characteristics; independence, accounting expertise, multiple directorship, size, and diligence to audit committee effectiveness over corporate voluntary disclosure by Malaysian listed firms. The study uses 146 firms listed on Bursa Malaysia for the year 2006. The empirical results have revealed that proportion of independent directors, and number of directors on audit committee is significantly associated with corporate voluntary disclosure, and hence enhances audit committee effectiveness. The study contributes to the understanding of the association between audit committee characteristics and such committee effectiveness in respect to voluntary disclosure practices

Penilaian tahap kesedaran, keberkesanan dan pematuhan terhadap peraturan penggunaan komputer: kajian kes di Universiti Utara Malaysia / Nor Aziah Abdul Rahman and Abdul Manaf Bohari

Penggunaan teknologi komputer pada masa kini telah menjadi keperluan utama sekaligus menjadi asas penting dalam menggerakan kemajuan sosial ekonomi masyarakat. Dalam konteks pendidikan tinggi khususnya universiti, penggunaan teknologi komputer akan mempertingkatkan nilai tambah kepada proses pembelajaran dan pengajaran termasuklah kualiti pendidikan itu sendiri. Secara khususnya, penggunaan komputer di kalangan pelajar akan membantu dalam menyelesaikan masalah pembelajaran. Dalam pada itu, perkembangan dan kemajuan teknologi berkaitan komputer seperti Internet, perisian, rangkaian, dan sebagainya telah mempertingkatkan kepentingan komputer sebagai medium utama pembelajaran peringkat universiti. Sunggupun demikian, penggunaan komputer disebaliknya berupaya mewujudkan kesan negatif, misalnya penyalahgunaan teknologi Internet akan menyebabkan penyebaran virus, penyebaran maklumat palsu, pornografi, pemalsuan dokumen, pencerobohan dan sebagainya. Untuk itu, kajian ini adalah bertujuan (i) mengenalpasti tahap kesedaran pelajar terhadap kandungan garis panduan penggunaan komputer; (ii) mengenalpasti tahap keberkesanan garis panduan penggunaan komputer terhadap aktiviti penggunaan komputer; dan (iii) menilai tahap pematuhan pelajar terhadap etika penggunaan komputer. Kajian ini dilaksanakan di kalangan pelajar Universiti Utara Malaysia dengan reka bentuk kajian dengan sejumlah 100 responden dipilih di kalangan pelajar melalui kaedah persampelan mudah. Tiga hipotesis akan dibentuk dan diuji. Secara umumnya, hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara tahap kesedaran terhadap garis panduan komputer dengan tahap pematuhan terhadap etika penggunaan komputer. Kolerasi yang kuat telah dikenalpasti di antara tahap kesedaran garis panduan penggunaan komputer dengan tahap keberkesanan garis panduan penggunaan komputer. Akhir sekali, cadangan dikemukakan bagi mempertingkatkan amalan baik penggunaan komputer dalam konteks universiti khususnya dalam membantu proses penyelesaian masalah pembelajaran di kalangan para pelajar

A survey of perception towards tax evasion as a crime

This paper analyzes the perception of Malaysian citizens on the severity of tax evasion relative to other crimes and violations.Perception of tax evasion may somewhat explain the degree of non-compliance with the tax laws. Using data from a mail questionnaire survey, the results of mean and comparative analysis results show that tax evasion items were ranked as the five least serious crimes of 32 listed crimes.Tax evasions is categorised after drugs related offence, violent crimes and commercial crimes.The results also indicate significant differences on perception of tax evasion among ethnic groups, academic qualifications and employment sectors.Our results should be useful to policy makers in Malaysia and elsewhere, as we find an alarming signal that tax evasion is relatively ranked as the least serious offence which could lead to an environment where taxpayers may not be afraid of cheating on their tax returns

Faktor penentu prestasi pelajar Matrikulasi dalam subjek Perakaunan

This study explores the determinants of students’ performance in accounting at the matriculation level. Out of 450 questionnaires distributed, analysis on the 393 usable sample shows the overall average students’ grade point is at the range of C. Using stepwise multiple regression, the findings show significant positive relationships between the grade of management accounting subject with the previous cumulative grade point average and the achievement in financial accounting subject that was taken in the previous semester. Besides that, attitude, motivation and expected marks show significant relationships with the students’ performance. Interestingly, the results show that students without accounting exposure perform better than those with previous accounting exposure

Tax professionals’ perceptions toward tax authority: Ways to strengthen the Malaysian tax administrative system

This article examines tax professionals’ perceptions toward services provided by the tax authority, i.e. Inland Revenue Board Malaysia (IRBM).Using a survey questionnaire, the views of the tax professionals on twelve aspects of the IRBM services were analysed. E-filing system is perceived to be the most efficient service provided by the IRBM while the least efficient service is related to bureaucracy.Comments from tax professionals offer rooms for collaboration with the IRBM in improving the IRBM services specifically related to different environment faced by tax professionals in completing their daily tasks.It is hoped that this study also leads to increase understanding between tax professionals and the IRBM

The impact of audit committee characteristics on corporate voluntary disclosure

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of audit committee characteristics on corporate voluntary disclosure of 146 Malaysian listed firms for the year 2009.Based on content analysis of disclosure, the empirical results of multiple regressions reveal that audit committee independence, size and multiple directorships of audit committee members are positively associated with corporate voluntary disclosure.Frequency of meetings and financial expertise of audit committee members are not significantly associated with corporate voluntary disclosure.The results offer evidence to policy makers, investors and accounting professionals on the extent to which audit committee characteristics associated with such committee effectiveness in monitoring corporate reporting processes

Effects of fiscal regime changes on investment climate of Malaysia’s marginal oil fields: Proposed model

The paper proposes a model to examine the effect of the 2010 fiscal regime changes on investment climate of Malaysia’s marginal oil fields.It proposes the use of investment appraisal tools, such as Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Profitability Index, Saving Index and Access to Gross Revenue, for the study.Two scenarios would be considered using the fiscal terms of Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and Risk Service Contract (RSC), respectively.Each scenario would be of a fifteen-year simulation. Sensitivity analysis will also be conducted for both the scenarios under different prices and reserves levels.The study, when undertaken, will be beneficial to both industry and the government

Effect of taxation and fiscal arrangement on marginal oil field investment climate: A theoretical framework

The paper proposes a model to examine the effect of the 2010 fiscal regime changes on investment climate of Malaysia’s marginal oil fields.It proposes the use of investment appraisal tools, such as Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Profitability Index, Saving Index and Access to Gross Revenue, for the study.Two scenarios would be considered using the fiscal terms of Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and Risk Service Contract (RSC), respectively.Each scenario would be of a fifteen-year simulation. Sensitivity analysis will also be conducted for both the scenarios under different prices and reserves levels. The study, when undertaken, will be beneficial to both industry and the government

A descriptive analysis of tax evasion as a crime in a least developed country: The case of Yemen

This paper measures the perception of Yemeni citizens on the severity of tax evasion relative to other crimes and violations. Perception of tax evasion may somewhat explain the degree of non-compliance with tax laws.Using data from a self-administered survey and a structured interview, the results of mean and comparative analysis show that the three tax evasion offences were ranked as the least serious crimes among 30 listed crimes.Further, tax evasion is categorized the least serious category out of six categories.The results of this study should be useful to policy makers in Yemen and elsewhere, as it is an alarming signal that tax evasion is relatively ranked as the least serious offence, which could lead to an environment where taxpayers may not be afraid of cheating on their tax returns