SINGAPORE: More than a third of retail investors, or 37%, experienced difficulties in exercising their rights, according to a new survey out on June 25.
The survey, which was commissioned in 2024 by the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), or Sias, included the responses of 197 people in a bid to track the progress of investors’ rights in Singapore and see what more needs to be done.
Sias is the main investor-led organisation dedicated to investor education and the advocacy of retail investors’ rights. It engages companies and regulators to improve corporate governance and transparency.
The survey was also conducted with support from the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Of the respondents who said they faced difficulties in exercising their rights, 41% felt their voices were not heard enough when companies made decisions.
Another 24% said they met challenges in accessing company financial reports and disclosures. About 22% also reported encountering difficulties when voting at shareholder meetings because of unclear procedures and a lack of information.
Lastly, 13% said they experienced delays in receiving dividends and other things that shareholders are entitled to.
SIT associate professor of accounting Kevin Ow Yong said: “From an accounting and finance perspective, it is imperative that there are adequate safeguards to protect investors so as to improve and maintain investor confidence towards Singapore Exchange-listed companies.”
The report observed that there is room for further reforms to plug gaps in investor protection under the existing framework.
The opportunity for reform has also cropped up, with the ongoing review by the Equities Market Review Group, which was set up in 2024 to boost Singapore’s equities market.
“While it is important for regulation to be right-sized in order to improve and increase the quality of listings in Singapore, this should not be at the expense of investor protection, which is important to support both retail and institutional investment in Singapore’s equities market,” the report said.
Among the things investors wanted were having better mechanisms for investor redress and dispute resolution, and ensuring fair and equal access to information. — The Straits Times/ANN
