(Analyzing The Perspectives of Participation Banks Towards Interest Free Financial Accounting Standards: The Case of Sivas Province)

Abstract

Purpose – The present study was carried out in order to determine the level of awareness of interest-free finance accounting standards among the personnel of participation banks operating in Sivas pro-vince and to determine their opinions about the applicability of interest-free finance accounting stan-dards. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, the survey method was used in data collection. The universe of study consists of individuals working at 5 participation banks in Sivas Province (Albaraka Türk Katılım Bankası, Kuveyt Türk Katılım Bankası, Türkiye Finans Katılım Bankası, Vakıf Katılım Bankası, and Ziraat Katılım Bankası). From this aspect, face-to-face interviews were performed with 60 individuals working at participation banks in Sivas province and a survey was conducted with 53 in-dividuals. The survey data were analyzed using SPSS 22 for Windows (Social Package Statistical Sci-ence) statistical package software. Findings – As a result of the survey conducted, it was found that there were differences between the responses of participation bank employees in Section B (factors complicating the implementation of interest-free finance accounting standards), Section C (factors easing the implementation of interest-free finance accounting standards), and Section D (opinions about the implementation of interest-free finance accounting standards) in terms of age and between their responses in Section D (opinions about the implementation of interest-free finance accounting standards), in terms of the capital structure of the bank, in which they work at the significance level 0.05. According to the results obtained, it was found that 75% of participation bank employees in Sivas province had knowledge about interest-free accounting standards, no awareness of interest-free finance accounting standards, and they were not ready for such change. The participants stated that various legal problems might arise in the implemen-tation of interest-free finance accounting standards. Besides that, the participants also emphasized that the implementation of interest-free finance accounting standards might become easier because the go-vernment follows policies supporting the interest-free banking and interest-free finance and the num-ber of participation banks and other interest-free finance institutions gradually increases. They also stated that institutions such as TCMB, BDDK, TÜRMOB, KGK, TKBB, and SPK would play an impor-tant role. Furthermore, the participants think that the implementation of interest-free finance accoun-ting standards might accelerate when undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs on interest-free finance and interest-free finance will be opened within the universities and programs supporting the participation banking and interest-free finance will be included in Development Plans. Discussion – The fact that interest-free finance accounting standards can be arbitrarily implemented in the annual accounting periods starting from 1st January 2020 can be considered as a milestone for the participation banks, which had no financial reporting and accounting frame suitable for their activities until a recent period. It is a transition period and the transition periods are always difficult. Hence, the vast majority of employees working in participation banks in Sivas province have knowledge about the interest-free finance accounting standards but it is thought that the participation banks are not ready for such a change and problems might arise during the implementation of interest-free finance accoun-ting standards. The fact that participation banks obtained an opportunity of financial reporting within the frame of interest-free finance approach is an important process, in which there might various prob-lems arise, for the participation banks operating in Turkey. In order to overcome the problems that might arise during this process, besides the public authorities, also the academic circles have important responsibilities.