The Role of Accounting Data and Information in the Decision- Making Process of the Egyptian Governmental Companies: Case Study of the General Company for Silos and Storage (GCSS)

The study aimed at analyzing the role of accounting data and information in the decision-making process of grain-public companies companies in Egypt. The case study examined is the General Company for Silos and Storage. Both of the statistical and financial analyses have been used. These analyses are confined to two main sections; the first dealt with the Company’s activities pertaining to imported wheat. The second handled the role of data and information in making the Company’s decisions. 
The study results of the first section disclosed the following: (1) Amounts of wheats imported in 2013/2014 outweighed those imported in 2012/2013 by 32.97%.  (2) The main wheat-importing countries of Romania, Russia, and France realized imported-amounts’ increases of 52.97%, 118.47%, and 91.52%, respectively.  Whilst both of the USA and the Ukraine have experienced imported-amounts’ decline of 78.12% and 52.64%, respectively.  (3) Wheat imports reaching the ports of Damietta and Alexandria have witnessed wheat-imports’ increases of 68.03% and 56.85%, respectively. Whereas the port of El-Dekhaila has practiced a decline of 20.77% in wheat imports. The port of Safaga has witnessed no change whatsoever.
The second section, which is typical to the case study examined during the period 2008/2009- 2012/2013, showed the following: (1) Employment rates in the Company have declined significantly despite of offering high wage rates.  This is partially because wages occupied a large portion of the Company’s cost structure with ratio of wages to returns of 37.61% in the 2012/2013 budget.  (2) The Company suffered from inventory-stock accumulation which is estimated at 6.42% of the current liabilities.  Moreover, capital accumulation is found to be poor with a net fixed-assets ratio of barely 17% during the average study period.  (3) Weak and poor liquidity ratios and self-financing sources are common trajectories in the Company.  And (4) depressed sales and collection policies, as indicated to by the ratio of cash to returns of 0.31 during the average study period.
The existing financial and crediting records of the General Company of Silos and Storage indicated to numerous imbalances and shortcomings. These inadequacies could be corrected via the acquiring, implementation, and analysis of upright data bases.
Finally, the study recommends the application of regular financial and statistical analyses of data and accounting information of the company to identify aspects of strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, better decision making and policy formation could be made in accordance with governmental policies.