In a world where innovation and distinctiveness are increasingly being valued and rewarded over and above conformity and customs, disclosure of information should form a key part of a banks strategy.
Every reporting season, bank executives face up to the task of reviewing their performance numbers, and considering how best to report these results to the public. Every year, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority looks at a list of items considered useful for bank assessment purposes and attempts to incorporate them into its ever-growing disclosure requirements.
Throughout all this, a common theme that consistently emerges is banks preference to disclose only the bare regulatory minimum. Anything else is regarded as either competitive information...
