The adoption of the new reform of the OHADA Uniform Act on Accounting Law and Financial Reporting in accordance with IFRS: realism or mimetism

Abstract

The transition from an OCAM1 accounting culture to an accounting system with a conceptual framework inspired by international accounting standards is a notorious step forward in the economies of sub-Saharan Africa. The old accounting systems used in Member States no longer meet the requirements of the increasingly diversified information needs of users of financial statements. The uniform act on the organisation and harmonisation of company accounts adopted under the OHADA2 Treaty, to which the OHADA accounting system (SYSCOHADA) has been annexed, had the advantage of modernising the accounting information system of African companies of member states and adapt it to changes in the economic, financial and legal environment. However, the issue relating to the convergence of OHADA standards with IFRS deserves to be examined. Reflections on the consequences of such an experience are at the heart of this research. Finally, our analysis, though theoretical, questions whether this experience would be a possible mimetic or realistic behaviour on the part of decision-makers in the OHADA space.