For Singapore's public companies, communication is key

ON MARCH 31, the Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) updated its guidance to companies listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange on how and when to conduct their annual general meetings (AGMs) in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and social-distancing measures.

The challenge of holding large group meetings before the end of April is obvious and the guidance by the SGX RegCo to defer AGMs until after the recently announced "circuit breaker", or to conduct them virtually provides some much-needed leeway for companies whose financial year ended on Dec 31, 2019.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced companies of all shapes and sizes to fundamentally rethink the way they operate to ensure the safety of employees while maintaining business continuity. At the same time, the disruption to Singapore's annual reporting season highlights the additional challenges listed companies are facing to ensure clear and effective communication with the investment community during this period of heightened uncertainty. Those that succeed in providing clarity for their investors will be the ones best-placed to emerge from this crisis with their enterprise value and reputations intact.