Law No 1 of 2005 provides the legal framework for banking activities. This law was
introduced as part of measures aimed at reforming and developing the financial and the
banking sectors. The law was designed to cover the administrative and financial
transactions of both the Libyan Central Bank (LCB), commercial and specialized banks
and its responsibility for regulating and controlling these banks. The law also required all
banks in Libya comply with IASs. Mukhtar et al. (2008) also argue that the banking sector
is monitored closely by the LCB.
The General Financial Regulation (GFR)
The financial law was issued in 1980 by the Libyan General People’s Committee to
regulate the accounting matters of state companies. It consists of the following parts.
Part 1 is related to the budget process which includes the estimation of expenditures
and expected revenues. It is also related to the accounting system and records and
financial reports of a company. Article (8) requires each company to prepare an annual
budget for monitoring the annual current expenditure and revenues and articles (9-11)
determine the procedures of the budget process. According to the article (61) the
following should be considered when designing the company’s accounting system:
. all financial transactions that relate to the company’s activities;
. the expenditure regulations;
. determining the appropriate documents for each department (e.g. purchases, sales,
warehouses, and financial departments) and the relationship between them;
. setting-up codes of accounts; and
. the necessary accounting records in particular the records that are required
by law.
Article (65) determines the necessary accounting records and books that should be
kept by a company. These accounts and books include:
. General account (Daybook).
. General ledger.
. Treasury and banking ledger.
. Fixed assets ledger.
. Subsidiary and statistical books.
. Book of supervision of stores.
All of these journals and books should be numbered and stamped by the company’s
stamp before using them. In addition, the articles (78 and 79) require each company to
prepare its financial reports within three month after the end of the fiscal year. These
financial reports should be prepared according to the GAAP and rules. These Articles
also require that a company should consider all instructions and initiatives from
concerned parties which is in charge of this company. In addition a company must
create the necessary financial reserves. Furthermore, in this context, the company’s
financial statements must be prepared on the accrual basis.
Part 2 is related to the purchases transactions and contracts. This part focuses on the
administrative procedures of the purchases and contracts of a company. The financial
law also requires a manager of a purchases department of a company should prepare
the appropriate documents and forms to record all the purchases transactions.