Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of …...ED 9 Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of...

Issued May 2000

Exposure Draft 9 Response Due Date November 30, 2000

Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis

of Accounting

Proposed International Public Sector

Accounting Standard

IFAC

Public

Sector

Committee

Issued for

comment by

the International

Federation of

Accountants

This Exposure Draft was approved by the Public Sector Committee of the International Federation of Accountants.

Acknowledgment This Exposure Draft of an International Public Sector Accounting Standard draws on material contained in International Accounting Standards (IASs) published by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). Extracts from IASs are reproduced in this publication of the Public Sector

Committee of the International Federation of Accountants with the permission of IASC.

The approved text of the International Accounting Standards (IASs) is that published by IASC in the English language, and copies may be obtained directly

from IASC, 166 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2DY, United Kingdom. E-mail: [email protected]

IASs, Exposure Drafts and other publications of the IASC are copyright of the IASC.

“IAS”, “IASC” and “International Accounting Standards” are registered Trade Marks of the IASC and should not be used without the approval of the IASC.

Information about the International Federation of Accountants and copies of this Exposure Draft can be found at its internet site, http://www.ifac.org.

The approved text of this Exposure Draft is that published in the English language.

Copyright © 2000 International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). All rights reserved. Copies of this Exposure Draft may be made for the purpose of preparing comments to be submitted to IFAC, provided such copies are for personal or intra-organization use only and are not sold or disseminated and provided each copy acknowledges IFAC's copyright and sets out IFAC's address in full. Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the International Federation of Accountants.

International Federation of Accountants

535 Fifth Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10017

United States of America

ED 9 Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of Accounting 1

Commenting on this Exposure Draft This Exposure Draft of the International Federation of Accountants was prepared by the Public Sector Committee. The proposals in this Exposure Draft may be modified in the final Standard in the light of comments received before being issued in the form of an International Public Sector Accounting Standard.

Comments should be submitted in writing so as to be received by 30 November 2000. E-mail responses are preferred. Unless respondents to Exposure Drafts specifically request confidentiality, their comments are a matter of public record once a Standard has been issued. Comments should be addressed to:

The Technical Director International Federation of Accountants

535 Fifth Avenue, 26th Floor New York, New York 10017

United States of America

Fax: +1 (212) 286-9570 E-mail Address: [email protected]


INTRODUCTION

Accounting Standards for the Public Sector The International Federation of Accountants — Public Sector Committee (the Committee) is developing a set of recommended accounting standards for public sector entities referred to as International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs). The Committee recognizes the significant benefits of achieving consistent and comparable financial information across jurisdictions and it believes that the IPSASs will play a key role in enabling these benefits to be realized.

The adoption of IPSASs by governments will improve both the quality and comparability of financial information reported by public sector entities around the world. The Committee recognizes the right of governments and national standard setters to establish guidelines and accounting standards for financial reporting by the public sector in their jurisdictions. The Committee considers that this Standard is an important step forward in improving the consistency and comparability of financial reporting under the cash basis of accounting and encourages the adoption of this Standard.

In addition, the Committee strongly urges governments to progress to the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accrual-based IPSASs and to harmonize national requirements with those IPSASs. Entities intending to adopt the accrual basis of accounting may find other publications of the Committee helpful, particularly the accrual-based IPSASs and Study 11, Governmental Financial Reporting: Accounting Issues and Practices.

Financial statements should be described as complying with IPSASs only if they comply with all the requirements of each applicable International Public Sector Accounting Standard.

The objective of the current phase of the Committee’s workplan is to develop IPSASs based on the International Accounting Standards (IASs) issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee and extant at 31 August 1997, or their subsequently revised versions. This Standard applies only to public sector entities adopting the cash basis of accounting, whereas IASs are developed for commercial enterprises adopting the accrual basis of accounting. The provisions of the IASs, from which this Standard draws, have been amended so as to apply to cash accounting.


Due Process and Timetable An important part of the process of developing IPSASs is for the Committee to receive comments on the proposals set out in these Exposure Drafts from governments, public sector entities, auditors, standard setters and other parties with an interest in public sector financial reporting. Accordingly, each proposed IPSAS is first released as an Exposure Draft, inviting interested parties to provide their comments. Exposure Drafts will usually have a comment period of four months, although longer periods may be used for certain Exposure Drafts. Upon the closure of the comment period, the Committee will consider the comments received on the Exposure Draft and may modify proposed IPSASs in the light of the comments received before proceeding to issue a final Standard.

It is anticipated that the complete set of initial Standards will be issued by November 2001.

Purpose of the Exposure Draft This Exposure Draft proposes to establish requirements for financial reporting under the cash basis of accounting.

Request for Comments Comments are invited on proposals in this Exposure Draft by 30 November 2000. The Committee would prefer that respondents express a clear overall opinion on whether the Exposure Draft in general is supported and that this opinion be supplemented by detailed comments, whether supportive or critical, on the issues in the Exposure Draft. Respondents are also invited to provide detailed comments indicating the specific paragraph number or groups of paragraphs to which they relate, clearly explaining the issue and suggesting alternative wording, with supporting reasoning, where this is appropriate.


Specific Matters for Comment In developing an accounting standard for financial reporting under the cash basis, the Committee’s principal objective is to improve financial reporting in the public sector. To ensure that outcome is achieved, the Committee would particularly value comment on the following proposals or issues:

(a) to omit the “true and fair” override permitted under International Public Sector Accounting Standard IPSAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements when the financial statement is prepared on a cash basis of accounting. The reason for omitting this provision is that cash transactions are not complex and in all cases fair presentation will be achieved by complying with requirements in this accounting standard [paragraphs 59 – 60];

(b) the application of this Standard to payments made directly to third parties by grantors/lenders on behalf of the entity. This Standard requires the recognition and presentation of all cash flows of an entity in its cash flow statement [paragraph 29]. Should an entity recognize in its cash flow statement the cash flows in respect of cash payments made on its behalf, even where these transactions do not flow through the entity’s bank account? This situation could occur under the terms of a grant or loan agreement where a multilateral development agency makes payments directly to contractors on behalf of the entity. The Committee is interested both in the views of respondents regarding the recognition or non-recognition of these cash flows, and in the event of non-recognition, the forms of disclosure that respondents consider would be appropriate;

(c) the application of this Standard to administered transactions (cash receipts collected, or cash payments made, on behalf of others). This Standard requires that an entity include all cash receipts and cash payments in its cash flow statement, to the extent that these cash flows are controlled by the entity. However, there is provision for such transactions to be disclosed on a net basis [paragraphs 85 – 86];

(d) the implications of using the concept of control to determine the boundaries of the reporting entity [paragraphs 125 – 129]. This is consistent with the approach taken in the accrual-based International Public Sector Accounting Standard IPSAS 6 Consolidated Financial Statements and Accounting for Controlled Entities. In some jurisdictions the “reporting entity” is determined on some other basis such as the budget sector. If you disagree with the application of the concept of control, what alternative


conceptual basis would you recommend be applied and what is your rationale for recommending this alternative?

(e) to require the disclosure of material uncertainties regarding the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern [paragraphs 65 – 69];

(f) to require the disclosure of information about the acquisition and disposal of controlled entities and other operating units, particularly the requirement to disclose the amount of the assets and liabilities other than cash or cash equivalents recognized by the controlled entity or operating unit acquired or disposed of [paragraph 121(d)];

(g) to require recognition of certain cash flows and cash balances associated with jointly controlled operations [paragraph 142], jointly controlled assets [paragraph 144] and jointly controlled entities [paragraph 146]. The Committee is interested in whether entities will have sufficient information to meet these requirements and whether these requirements are considered to be appropriate;

(h) to encourage the disclosure of additional information [paragraph 148]. Respondents are invited to suggest any other additional information the disclosure of which should be encouraged. Respondents are also invited to comment on whether such information should be included in the notes to the financial statement or separately presented as supplementary information;

(i) to require disclosures about undrawn borrowing facilities, including movements between the opening and closing balances of undrawn borrowing facilities [paragraph 156(c)];

(j) to require the disclosure of significant transactions administered as agent on behalf of others, even where the cash flows and balances are outside the control of the entity [paragraphs 160 – 162];

(k) to provide a transitional provision to permit entities not to eliminate cash transactions and balances within the economic entity for a period of three years from when the Standard is first adopted [paragraph 169];

(l) the possible inclusion of an additional transitional provision that provides relief from consolidating all entities within the economic entity. There is currently no such provision in this Exposure Draft [paragraph 125 requires the consolidation of all controlled entities]; and


(m) to provide guidance on the form of a cash flow statement via the illustrative statements in Appendices 1 – 3. The Committee is interested in the views of respondents regarding the form and contents of the statements, and the level of disaggregation shown in the statements. The Committee is aware that a functional classification will be more appropriate for some levels of government than others.


Contents

International Public Sector Accounting Standard IPSAS XX

Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of Accounting

OBJECTIVE

SCOPE Paragraphs 1 – 6

DEFINITIONS 7 – 22

Cash and Cash Equivalents 8 – 12

Cash Basis of Accounting 13 – 16

Economic Entity 17 – 19

Future Economic Benefits or Service Potential 20

Government Business Enterprises 21

Net Assets/Equity 22

COMPONENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT

23 – 58

Presentation of a Cash Flow Statement 25 – 40

Benefits of Cash Flow Information 27 – 28

Classification of Cash Flows 29 – 32

Operating Activities 33 – 36

Investing Activities 37

Financing Activities 38

Interest and Dividends 39 – 40

Information to be Presented on the Face of the Cash Flow Statement

41 – 42

Information to be Presented either on the Face of the Cash Flow Statement or in the Notes

43 – 51

Notes to the Financial Statement 52 – 58

Structure 52 – 55

Presentation of Accounting Policies 56 – 58


OVERALL CONSIDERATIONS 59 – 87

Fair Presentation 59 – 60

Accounting Policies 61 – 63

Timeliness 64

Going Concern 65 – 69

Consistency of Presentation 70 – 72

Materiality and Aggregation 73 – 76

Identification of the Financial Statement 77 – 81

Reporting Period 82 – 84

Reporting Cash Flows on a Net Basis 85 – 87

REPORTING ISSUES 88 – 119

Extraordinary Items 88 – 97

Distinct from Ordinary Activities 90 – 91

Not Expected to Recur in Foreseeable Future 92

Outside the Control or Influence of the Entity 93

Examples of Extraordinary Items 94 – 97

Fundamental Errors 98 – 103

Foreign Currency Cash Flows 104 – 108

Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies 109 – 119

The Restatement of a Financial Statement 111 – 115

Comparative Information 116

Consolidated Financial Statement 117 – 118

Selection and Use of the General Price Index 119

ACCOUNTING FOR INVESTMENTS 120 – 139

Acquisitions and Disposals of Controlled Entities and Other Operating Units

120 – 124

Scope of a Consolidated Financial Statement 125 – 129

Presentation of a Consolidated Financial Statement 130 – 136

Consolidation Procedures 137 – 139


FINANCIAL REPORTING OF INTERESTS IN JOINT VENTURES

140 – 147

Forms of Joint Venture 140 – 141

Jointly Controlled Operations 142 – 143

Jointly Controlled Assets 144 – 145

Jointly Controlled Entities 146 – 147

DISCLOSURES 148 – 168

Additional Information 148

Comparative Information 149 – 152

Comparison with Budgets 153

Other Disclosures 154 – 164

Disclosures – Hyperinflation 165 – 166

Disclosures – Consolidated Financial Statement 167

Disclosure – Joint Ventures 168

TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS 169 – 171

EFFECTIVE DATE 172

APPENDIX 1 – CASH FLOW STATEMENT: WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT

APPENDIX 2 – CASH FLOW STATEMENT: STATE OR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

APPENDIX 3 – CASH FLOW STATEMENT: GOVERNMENT AGENCY

APPENDIX 4 – QUALITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF FINANCIAL REPORTING

APPENDIX 5 – ESTABLISHING CONTROL OF ANOTHER ENTITY FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING PURPOSES

APPENDIX 6 – FINANCIAL REPORTING OF INTERESTS IN JOINT VENTURES

ED 9 Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of Accounting

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INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SECTOR ACCOUNTING STANDARD IPSAS XX

Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of Accounting The standards, which have been set in bold italic type, should be read in the context of the commentary paragraphs in this Standard, which are in plain type, and in the context of the “Preface to International Public Sector Accounting Standards”. International Public Sector Accounting Standards are not intended to apply to immaterial items.

Objective The purpose of this Standard is to prescribe the manner in which the general purpose cash flow financial statement should be presented in order to ensure comparability with the entity’s own financial statement of previous periods and with the financial statements of other entities. To achieve this objective, this Standard sets out overall considerations for the presentation of the financial statement under the cash basis of accounting, guidelines for its structure and minimum requirements for its content.

The cash flows of an entity can provide information to users of a financial statement that is useful for assessing the ability of the entity to generate cash and cash equivalents and the needs of the entity to utilize those cash flows. In making and evaluating decisions about the allocation of cash resources, such as the sustainability of the entity’s activities, users require an understanding of the timing and certainty of cash flows. The main objective of this Standard is to require the provision of information about the movements in cash and cash equivalents of an entity by means of a cash flow statement that classifies cash flows during the period from operating, investing and financing activities.

Scope 1. An entity which prepares and presents a financial statement

under the cash basis of accounting, as defined in this Standard, should apply this Standard in the presentation of its general purpose annual financial statement.

2. A general purpose financial statement is one intended to meet the needs of users who are not in a position to demand reports tailored to meet their specific information needs. Users of a


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general purpose financial statement include taxpayers and ratepayers, members of the legislature, creditors, suppliers, the media and employees. General purpose financial statements include those that are presented separately or within another public document such as an annual report.

3. This Standard applies equally to the financial statement of an individual entity and to the consolidated financial statement of an economic entity such as a whole-of-government financial statement.

4. A financial statement should not be described as complying with this Standard unless it complies with all its requirements.

5. This Standard does not apply to Government Business Enterprises.

6. Government Business Enterprises (GBEs) are required to comply with International Accounting Standards (IASs) issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee. The Public Sector Committee’s Guideline No. 1 Financial Reporting by Government Business Enterprises notes that IASs are relevant to all business enterprises, regardless of whether they are in the private or public sector. Accordingly, Guideline No. 1 recommends that GBEs should present financial statements that conform, in all material respects, to IASs.

Definitions 7. The following terms are used in this Standard with the

meanings specified:

Accounting policies are the specific principles, bases, conventions, rules and practices adopted by an entity in preparing and presenting financial statements.

Accrual basis means a basis of accounting under which transactions and other events are recognized when they occur (and not only when cash or its equivalent is received or paid). Therefore, the transactions and events are recorded in the accounting records and recognized in the financial statements of the periods to which they relate. The elements recognized under accrual accounting are assets, liabilities, net assets/equity, revenue and expenses.


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Assets are resources controlled by an entity as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits or service potential are expected to flow to the entity.

Borrowing costs are interest and other expenses incurred by an entity in connection with the borrowing of funds.

Cash comprises cash on hand and demand deposits.

Cash basis means a basis of accounting that recognizes transactions and other events when cash is received or paid. It measures financial results for a period as the difference between cash received and cash paid. The primary financial statement is the cash flow statement.

Cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

Closing rate is the spot exchange rate at the reporting date.

Consolidated financial statement is the financial statement of an economic entity presented as that of a single entity.

Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of another entity so as to benefit from its activities.

Controlled entity is an entity that is under the control of another entity (known as the controlling entity).

Controlling entity is an entity that has one or more controlled entities.

Economic entity means a group of entities comprising a controlling entity and one or more controlled entities.

Exchange difference is the difference resulting from reporting the same number of units of a foreign currency in the reporting currency at different exchange rates.

Exchange rate is the ratio for exchange of two currencies.

Expenses are decreases in economic benefits or service potential during the reporting period in the form of outflows or consumption of assets or incurrences of liabilities that result in decreases in net assets/equity, other than those relating to distributions to owners.


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Extraordinary items are (for the purposes of this Standard) cash flows that arise from events or transactions that are clearly distinct from the ordinary activities of the entity, are not expected to recur frequently or regularly and are outside the control or influence of the entity.

Financing activities are activities that result in changes in the size and composition of the contributed capital and borrowings of the entity.

A financial asset is any asset that is:

(a) cash;

(b) a contractual right to receive cash or another financial asset from another entity;

(c) a contractual right to exchange financial instruments with another entity under conditions that are potentially favorable; or

(d) an equity instrument of another entity.

Foreign currency is a currency other than the reporting currency of an entity.

Fundamental errors are errors discovered in the current period that are of such significance that the financial statement of one or more prior periods can no longer be considered to have been reliable at the date of its issue.

Government Business Enterprise means an entity that has all the following characteristics:

(a) is an entity with the power to contract in its own name;

(b) has been assigned the financial and operational authority to carry on a business;

(c) sells goods and services, in the normal course of its business, to other entities at a profit or full cost recovery;

(d) is not reliant on continuing government funding to be a going concern (other than purchases of outputs at arm’s length); and

(e) is controlled by a public sector entity.

Investing activities are the acquisition and disposal of long-term assets and other investments not included in cash equivalents.


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Investor in a joint venture is a party to a joint venture and does not have joint control over that joint venture.

Joint control is the agreed sharing of control over an activity by a binding arrangement.

Joint venture is a binding arrangement whereby two or more parties are committed to undertake an activity which is subject to joint control.

Liabilities are present obligations of the entity arising from past events, the settlement of which is expected to result in an outflow from the entity of resources embodying economic benefits or service potential.

Materiality: information is material if its omission or misstatement could influence the decisions or assessments of users made on the basis of the financial statement. Materiality depends on the nature or size of the item or error judged in the particular circumstances of omission or misstatement.

Net assets/equity is the residual interest in the assets of the entity after deducting all its liabilities.

Operating activities are the activities of the entity that are not investing or financing activities.

Ordinary activities are any activities which are undertaken by an entity as part of its service delivery or trading activities. Ordinary activities include such related activities in which the entity engages in furtherance of, incidental to, or arising from these activities.

Payments are all cash outflows.

Proportionate consolidation (for the purpose of this Standard) is a method of accounting and reporting whereby a venturer’s share of each of the cash flows of a jointly controlled entity is combined on a line-by-line basis with similar items in the venturer’s financial statement or reported as separate line items in the venturer’s financial statement.

Receipts are all cash inflows.

Reporting currency is the currency used in presenting the financial statement.


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Reporting date means the date of the last day of the reporting period to which the financial statement relates.

Revenue is the gross inflow of economic benefits or service potential during the reporting period when those inflows result in an increase in net assets/equity, other than increases relating to contributions from owners.

Significant influence (for the purpose of this Standard) is the power to participate in the financial and operating policy decisions of the investee, but is not control over those policies.

Venturer is a party to a joint venture and has joint control over that joint venture.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

8. The cash basis of accounting, as defined by this Standard, recognizes both cash and cash equivalents. Cash includes cash on hand, cash on deposit and cash in transit. Cash equivalents include short-term investments in marketable securities.

9. Cash equivalents are held for the purpose of meeting short-term cash commitments rather than for investment or other purposes. For an investment to qualify as a cash equivalent it must be readily convertible to a known amount of cash and be subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value. Therefore, an investment normally qualifies as a cash equivalent only when it has a short maturity of, say, three months or less from the date of acquisition. Equity investments are excluded from cash equivalents unless they are, in substance, cash equivalents.

10. Bank borrowings are generally considered to be financing activities. However, in some jurisdictions, bank overdrafts which are repayable on demand form an integral part of an entity’s cash management. In these circumstances, bank overdrafts are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents. A characteristic of such banking arrangements is that the bank balance often fluctuates from being positive to overdrawn.

11. Cash flows exclude movements between items that constitute cash or cash equivalents because these components are part of the cash management of an entity rather than part of its operating, investing and financing activities. Cash management includes the investment of excess cash in cash equivalents.


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12. In some instances this Standard uses the term “cash” to refer to both “cash” and “cash equivalents”.

Cash Basis of Accounting

13. The cash basis of accounting recognizes transactions and events when cash (including cash equivalents) is received or paid. It measures the overall financial result for the period as the difference between cash received and cash paid. When the cash basis of accounting is adopted, only one financial statement: the cash flow statement, is presented. This statement provides readers with information about the sources of cash raised during the period, the uses to which those funds were applied and the balances of cash and cash equivalents at the reporting date. The measurement focus is balances of cash and cash equivalents and changes therein.

14. The financial statement reporting model associated with the cash basis of accounting is a cash flow statement that reconciles opening and closing balances of cash and cash equivalents. The cash flow statement is referred to by a variety of names both within and between jurisdictions. A commonly-used alternative name is the statement of receipts and payments.

15. This Standard requires the provision of information about the historical changes in cash and cash equivalents of an entity by means of a cash flow statement which classifies cash flows during the period from operating, investing and financing activities.

16. Although the focus of this Standard is on financial reporting under the cash basis of accounting, some terms relevant to the accrual basis of accounting (for example, assets, liabilities and net assets/equity) are used in this Standard with the same meanings as within the accrual-based International Public Sector Accounting Standards. In comparison with the cash basis of accounting, the accrual basis recognizes transactions and other events when they occur (and not only when cash or its equivalent is received or paid).

Economic Entity

17. The term “economic entity” is used in this Standard to define, for financial reporting purposes, a group of entities comprising the controlling entity and any controlled entities.


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18. Other terms sometimes used to refer to an economic entity include “administrative entity”, “financial reporting entity”, “consolidated entity” and “group”.

19. An economic entity may include entities with both social policy and commercial objectives. For example, a government housing department may be an economic entity which includes entities that provide housing for a nominal charge, as well as entities that provide accommodation on a commercial basis.

Future Economic Benefits or Service Potential

20. Assets, including cash and other resources, provide a means for entities to achieve their objectives. Assets that are used to deliver goods and services in accordance with an entity’s objectives but which do not directly generate net cash inflows are often described as embodying “service potential”. Assets that are used to generate net cash inflows are often described as embodying “future economic benefits”. To encompass all the purposes to which assets may be put, this Standard uses the term “future economic benefits or service potential” to describe the essential characteristic of assets.

Government Business Enterprises

21. Government Business Enterprises (GBEs) include both trading enterprises, such as utilities, and financial enterprises, such as financial institutions. GBEs are, in substance, no different from entities conducting similar activities in the private sector. GBEs generally operate to make a profit, although some may have limited community service obligations under which they are required to provide some individuals and organizations in the community with goods and services at either no charge or a significantly reduced charge. Appendix 5 to this Standard provides guidance on determining whether control exists for financial reporting purposes, and should be referred to in determining whether a GBE is controlled by another public sector entity.

Net Assets/Equity

22. “Net assets/equity” is the term used in this Standard to refer to the residual measure in the statement of financial position (assets less liabilities). Net assets/equity may be positive or negative. Other terms may be used in place of net assets/equity, provided that their meaning is clear.


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Components of the Financial Statement 23. A financial statement includes the following components:

(a) cash flow statement; and

(b) accounting policies and explanatory notes.

24. The financial statement provides users with information about the sources and disposition of cash by an entity.

Presentation of a Cash Flow Statement 25. An entity should prepare a cash flow statement in accordance

with the requirements of this Standard and should present it as its primary financial statement.

26. Users of an entity’s financial statement are interested in how the entity generates and uses cash and cash equivalents. This is the case regardless of the nature of the entity’s activities and irrespective of whether cash can be viewed as the product of the entity, as may be the case with a financial institution. Entities need cash for essentially the same reasons, however different their principal activities might be. They need cash to conduct their operations, to pay their obligations, and, in some cases, to provide a return or dividend to their owner. Accordingly, this Standard requires all entities to prepare a cash flow statement.


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Benefits of Cash Flow Information

27. A cash flow statement provides a means by which an entity can discharge its accountability for cash inflows and cash outflows during the reporting period. The information in a cash flow statement provides information useful in assessing an entity’s cash resources and the level of cash resources required to sustain an entity’s activities.

28. Historical cash flow information is often used as an indicator of the amount, timing and certainty of future cash flows. It is also useful in checking the accuracy of past assessments of future cash flows.

Classification of Cash Flows

29. The cash flow statement should report cash flows during the period classified by operating, investing and financing activities.

30. An entity should report cash flows from operating activities on the basis of gross cash receipts and gross cash payments for each major class, except to the extent that the cash flows described in paragraphs 85 and 87 are reported on a net basis.

31. An entity presents its cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities in a manner which is most appropriate to its activities.

32. A single transaction may include cash flows that are classified differently. For example, when the cash repayment of a loan includes both interest and capital, the interest element may be classified as an operating activity and the capital element is classified as a financing activity.

Operating Activities

33. The amount of net cash flows arising from operating activities is a key indicator of the manner in which the operations of the entity are funded:

(a) either by way of taxes (directly and indirectly); or

(b) from the recipients of goods and services provided by the entity.

The amount of net cash flows also assists in identifying the extent to which operations of the entity generate cash that can be


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deployed to repay obligations, pay a dividend/distribution to its owner and make new investments without recourse to external sources of financing. The consolidated whole-of-government operating cash flows provide an indication of the extent to which a government has financed its current activities through taxation and charges. Information about the specific components of historical operating cash flows is useful, in conjunction with other information, in forecasting future operating cash flows.

34. Cash flows from operating activities are primarily derived from the principal cash-generating activities of the entity. Examples of cash flows from operating activities are:

(a) cash receipts from taxes, levies and fines;

(b) cash receipts from charges for goods and services provided by the entity;

(c) cash receipts from grants, or transfers and other appropriations or budget authorities made by central government or other public sector entities;

(d) cash receipts from royalties, fees and commissions;

(e) cash payments to other public sector entities to finance their operations (not including loans);

(f) cash payments to suppliers for goods and services;

(g) cash payments to and on behalf of employees;

(h) cash receipts and cash payments of an insurance entity for premiums and claims, annuities and other policy benefits;

(i) cash payments of local property taxes or income taxes (where appropriate) in relation to operating activities;

(j) cash receipts and payments from contracts held for dealing or trading purposes;

(k) cash receipts or payments from discontinuing operations; and

(l) cash receipts or payments in relation to litigation settlements.

35. An entity may hold securities and loans for dealing or trading purposes, in which case they are similar to inventory acquired specifically for resale. Therefore, cash flows arising from the purchase and sale of dealing or trading securities are classified


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as operating activities. Similarly, cash advances and loans made by public financial institutions are usually classified as operating activities since they relate to the main cash-generating activity of that entity.

36. In some jurisdictions, governments or other public sector entities will appropriate or authorize funds to entities to finance the operations of an entity and no clear distinction is made for the disposition of those funds between current activities, capital works and contributed capital. Where an entity is unable to separately identify appropriations or budget authorizations into current activities, capital works and contributed capital, the appropriation or budget authorization should be classified as cash flows from operations, and this fact should be disclosed in the notes to the financial statement.

Investing Activities

37. The separate disclosure of cash flows arising from investing activities is important because these cash flows identify the extent to which cash outflows have been made for resources which are intended to contribute to the entity’s future service delivery. Examples of cash flows arising from investing activities are:

(a) cash payments to acquire property, plant and equipment, intangibles and other long-term assets. These payments include those relating to capitalized development costs and self-constructed property, plant and equipment;

(b) cash receipts from sales of property, plant and equipment, intangibles and other long-term assets;

(c) cash payments to acquire equity or debt instruments of other entities and interests in joint ventures (other than payments for those instruments considered to be cash equivalents or those held for dealing or trading purposes);

(d) cash receipts from sales of equity or debt instruments of other entities and interests in joint ventures (other than receipts for those instruments considered to be cash equivalents and those held for dealing or trading purposes);

(e) cash advances and loans made to other parties (other than advances and loans made by a public financial institution);


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(f) cash receipts from the repayment of advances and loans made to other parties (other than advances and loans of a public financial institution);

(g) cash payments for futures contracts, forward contracts, option contracts and swap contracts except when the contracts are held for dealing or trading purposes, or the payments are classified as financing activities; and

(h) cash receipts from futures contracts, forward contracts, option contracts and swap contracts except when the contracts are held for dealing or trading purposes, or the receipts are classified as financing activities.

When a contract is accounted for as a hedge of an identifiable position, the cash flows of the contract are classified in the same manner as the cash flows of the position being hedged.

Financing Activities

38. The separate disclosure of cash flows arising from financing activities is important because it is useful in predicting claims on future cash flows by providers of capital to the entity. Examples of cash flows arising from financing activities are:

(a) cash proceeds from issuing debentures, loans, notes, bonds, mortgages and other short or long-term borrowings;

(b) cash repayments of amounts borrowed;

(c) cash payments by a lessee for the reduction of the outstanding liability relating to a finance lease; and

(d) cash receipts and payments relating to the issue of and redemption of currency.

Interest and Dividends

39. Cash flows from interest and dividends received and paid should each be disclosed separately. Each should be classified in a consistent manner from period to period as either operating, investing or financing activities.

40. The total amounts of interest and dividends paid and received during a period are disclosed in the cash flow statement. Interest paid and interest and dividends received are usually classified as operating cash flows for a public financial institution. However, there is no consensus on the classification of the cash flows associated with interest and dividends received


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and paid for other entities. Interest and dividends paid and interest and dividends received may be classified as operating cash flows. Alternatively, interest and dividends paid and interest and dividends received may be classified as financing cash flows and investing cash flows respectively, because they are costs of obtaining financial resources or returns on investments.

Information to be Presented on the Face of the Cash Flow Statement

41. As a minimum, the cash flow statement should include line items which present the following amounts:

(a) total receipts from operating activities;

(b) total payments on operating activities;

(c) net cash flows from operating activities;

(d) net cash flows from investing activities;

(e) net cash flows from financing activities; and

(f) net increase or decrease in cash and cash equivalents.

Additional line items, headings and sub-totals should be presented on the face of the cash flow statement when such presentation is necessary to present fairly the entity’s cash flows.

42. The effects of an entity’s activities, transactions and other events differ in terms of their impact on its ability to meet its service delivery obligations, and the disclosure of the components of payments and receipts assists in an understanding of performance (in cash flow terms) and in predicting future cash flows. Additional line items are included on the face of the cash flow statement and the descriptions used and the ordering of items are amended when this is necessary to explain the elements of performance. Factors to be taken into consideration include materiality and the nature and function of the various components of cash flows.


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Information to be Presented either on the Face of the Cash Flow Statement or in the Notes

43. An entity should present, either on the face of the cash flow statement or in the notes to the cash flow statement, a sub-classification of total cash receipts from operations, classified in a manner appropriate to the entity’s operations.

44. The sub-classification of receipts depends upon the size, nature and function of the amounts involved. Depending upon the nature of the entity, the following sub-classifications may be appropriate:

(a) receipts from taxation (these may be further sub-classified into types of taxes);

(b) receipts from fees, fines, penalties and licenses;

(c) receipts from exchange transactions including receipts from the sale of goods and services and user charges (where these are classified as exchange transactions);

(d) receipts from grants or transfers (possibly classified by source); and

(e) receipts from interest and dividends, if included in operating activities.

45. An entity should present, either on the face of the cash flow statement or in the notes to the cash flow statement, an analysis of payments on operating activities using a classification based on either the nature of payments or their function within the entity, as appropriate.

46. Entities are encouraged to present the analysis in paragraph 45 on the face of the cash flow statement.

47. Payment items are further sub-classified in order to highlight the costs and cost recoveries of particular programs, activities or other relevant segments of the reporting entity. This information may be provided in one of two ways.

48. The first analysis is referred to as the nature of payments method. Payments are aggregated in the cash flow statement according to their nature (for example, purchases of materials, transport costs, wages and salaries), and are not reallocated amongst various functions within the entity. This method is


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simple to apply in many smaller entities because no allocations of payments on operating activities between functional classifications are necessary. An example of a classification using the nature of payments method is as follows:

Receipts from operating activities X Wages and salaries (X) Transport costs (X) Other operating payments (X) Total payments on operating activities (X) Net cash flows from operating activities X

49. The second method, referred to as the functional method of

classification, classifies payments according to the program or purpose for which they were made. This presentation often provides more relevant information to users, although the allocation of payments to functions can be arbitrary and may involve considerable judgment. An example of a functional classification of payments is as follows:

Receipts from operating activities X Health services payments (X) Education services payments (X) Other payments (X) Total operating payments (X) Net cash flows from operating activities X

50. The payments associated with the main functions undertaken by

the entity are shown separately. In this example, the entity has functions related to the provision of health services and education services. The entity would present payment line items for each of these functions.

51. Entities classifying payments by function should disclose additional information on the nature of payments on operating activities, including salaries and employee benefits and interest paid.


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Notes to the Financial Statement Structure

52. The notes to the financial statement of an entity should:

(a) present information about the basis of preparation of the financial statement and the specific accounting policies selected and applied for significant transactions and other events;

(b) disclose the information required by this Standard that is not presented elsewhere in the financial statement; and

(c) provide additional information which is not presented on the face of the financial statement but that is necessary for a fair presentation of the entity’s cash flows.

53. Notes to the financial statement should be presented in a systematic manner. Each item on the face of the cash flow statement should be cross-referenced to any related information in the notes.

54. Notes to the financial statement include narrative descriptions or more detailed schedules or analyses of amounts shown on the face of the cash flow statement, as well as additional information. They include information required and encouraged to be disclosed by this Standard, and other disclosures necessary to achieve a fair presentation.

55. Notes are normally presented in the following order, which assists users in understanding the financial statement and comparing them with those of other entities:

(a) statement of compliance with this International Public Sector Accounting Standard;

(b) statement of the accounting policies applied;

(c) supporting information for items presented on the face of the cash flow statement in the order in which each line item is presented; and

(d) other disclosures.


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Presentation of Accounting Policies

56. The accounting policies section of the notes to the financial statement should describe each specific accounting policy that is necessary for a proper understanding of the financial statement, including the extent to which the entity has applied any transitional provisions in this Standard.

57. In deciding whether a specific accounting policy should be disclosed, management considers whether disclosure would assist users in understanding the way in which transactions and events are reflected in the reported cash flows.

58. An accounting policy may be significant even if amounts shown for current and prior periods are not material. It is also appropriate to disclose an accounting policy for each policy not covered by this Standard, but selected and applied in accordance with paragraph 61.

Overall Considerations Fair Presentation 59. An entity whose financial statement complies with this

Standard should disclose that fact.

60. Inappropriate accounting treatments are not rectified either by disclosure of the accounting policies used, or by notes or explanatory material.

Accounting Policies 61. Management should select and apply an entity’s accounting

policies so that the financial statement complies with all the requirements of this Standard. Where there is no specific requirement, management should develop policies to ensure that the financial statement provides information that is:

(a) relevant to the decision-making needs of users; and

(b) reliable in that it:

(i) represents faithfully the cash flows of the entity;

(ii) is neutral, that is, free from bias; and

(iii) is complete in all material respects.


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62. Accounting policies are the specific principles, bases, conventions, rules and practices adopted by an entity in preparing its financial statement.

63. The quality of information provided in the financial statement determines the usefulness of the financial statement to users. Paragraph 61 requires the development of accounting policies to ensure that the financial statement provides information that meets a number of qualitative characteristics. Appendix 4 to this Standard summarizes the qualitative characteristics of financial reporting. The Appendix also notes that the timeliness of information may impact upon both its relevance and reliability. The maintenance of complete and accurate accounting records during the reporting period is essential for timely production of the financial statement.

Timeliness 64. The usefulness of the financial statement is impaired if it is not

made available to users within a reasonable period after the reporting date. An entity should be in a position to issue its financial statement within six months of the reporting date, although a timeframe of no more than three months is strongly encouraged. Ongoing factors such as the complexity of an entity’s operations are not sufficient reason for failing to report on a timely basis. More specific deadlines are dealt with by legislation and regulations in many jurisdictions.

Going Concern 65. When preparing the financial statement an assessment of an

entity’s ability to continue as a going concern should be made. The assessment should be made by those responsible for the preparation of the financial statement. When those responsible for the preparation of the financial statement are aware, in making their assessment, of material uncertainties related to events or conditions which may cast significant doubt upon the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, those uncertainties should be disclosed.

66. In assessing whether the entity is able to continue as a going concern, those responsible for the preparation of the financial statement take into account all available information for the foreseeable future, which should be at least, but is not limited to, twelve months from the approval of the financial statement.


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67. The degree of consideration depends on the facts in each case, and assessments of whether the entity is able to continue as a going concern are not predicated on the solvency test usually applied to business enterprises. There may be circumstances where the usual going concern tests of liquidity and solvency appear unfavorable, but other factors suggest that the entity is nonetheless a going concern. For example:

(a) In assessing whether the government is a going concern, the power to levy rates or taxes may enable some entities to be considered as a going concern even though their cash payments may exceed their cash receipts for extended periods.

(b) For an individual entity, an assessment of its cash flows for a reporting period may suggest that the entity is not a going concern. However, there may be multi-year funding agreements in place with the government that will ensure the continued operation of the entity.

68. The determination of whether an entity is a going concern is primarily relevant for individual entities rather than for the government as a whole. For individual entities, in assessing whether the entity is a going concern, those responsible for the preparation of the financial statement may need to consider a wide range of factors surrounding current and expected performance, potential and announced restructurings of organizational units, estimates of receipts or the likelihood of continued government funding, and potential sources of replacement financing before it is appropriate to conclude that the entity is a going concern.

69. For the purpose of assessing whether the whole-of-government entity is a going concern , those responsible for the preparation of the financial statement should consider a range of possible indicators, including the sustainability of the current fiscal stance, levels of debt and financial assets, and the capacity to change tax levels. In the absence of information to the contrary, it may be assumed that the government as a whole is a going concern.


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Consistency of Presentation 70. The presentation and classification of items in the financial

statement should be retained from one period to the next unless:

(a) a significant change in the nature of the operations of the entity or a review of its financial statement presentation demonstrates that the change will result in a more appropriate presentation of events or transactions; or

(b) a change in presentation is required by a future amendment to this Standard.

71. A significant acquisition or disposal, or a review of the financial statement presentation, might suggest that the financial statement should be presented differently. For example, an entity may dispose of a savings bank that represents one of its most significant controlled entities and the remaining economic entity conducts mainly administrative and policy advice services. In this case, the presentation of the financial statement based on the principal activities of the economic entity as a financial institution is unlikely to be relevant for the new economic entity.

72. Only if the revised structure is likely to continue, or if the benefit of an alternative presentation is clear, should an entity change the presentation of its financial statement. When such changes in presentation are made, an entity reclassifies its comparative information in accordance with paragraph 151. Where an entity has adopted this International Public Sector Accounting Standard, a change in presentation to comply with national requirements is permitted as long as the revised presentation is consistent with the requirements of this Standard.

Materiality and Aggregation 73. Items that are material by virtue of their nature should be

presented separately in the financial statement. Items that are material by virtue of their size but which have the same nature may be aggregated. Immaterial amounts should be aggregated with amounts of a similar nature or function and need not be presented separately.

74. Financial statements result from processing large quantities of transactions that are structured by being aggregated into groups


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according to their nature or function. The final stage in the process of aggregation and classification is the presentation of condensed and classified data that form line items either on the face of the financial statement or in the notes. If a line item is not individually material, it is aggregated with other items either on the face of the financial statement or in the notes. An item that is not sufficiently material to warrant separate presentation on the face of the financial statement may nevertheless be sufficiently material that it should be presented separately in the notes.

75. In this context, information is material if its non-disclosure could influence the decision-making and evaluation of users about the allocation and stewardship of cash resources, and the performance of the entity, made on the basis of the financial statement. Materiality depends on the size and nature of the item judged in the particular circumstances of its omission. In deciding whether an item or an aggregate of items is material, the size and nature of the item are evaluated together. Depending on the circumstances, either the size or the nature of the item could be the determining factor. For example, individual receipts with the same nature and function are aggregated even if the individual amounts are large. However, large items which differ in nature or function are presented separately.

76. The principle of materiality provides that the specific disclosure requirements of International Public Sector Accounting Standards need not be met if the resulting information is not material.

Identification of the Financial Statement 77. The financial statement should be clearly identified and

distinguished from other information in the same published document.

78. This Standard applies only to the financial statement, and not to other information presented in an annual report or other document. Therefore, it is important that users are able to distinguish information that is prepared using this Standard from other information that may be useful to users but that is not the subject of this Standard.


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79. Each component of the financial statement should be clearly identified. In addition, the following information should be prominently displayed, and repeated when it is necessary for a proper understanding of the information presented:

(a) the name of the reporting entity or other means of identification;

(b) whether the financial statement covers the individual entity or the economic entity;

(c) the reporting date or the period covered by the financial statement, whichever is appropriate to the related component of the financial statement;

(d) the reporting currency; and

(e) the level of precision used in the presentation of figures in the financial statement.

80. The requirements in paragraph 79 are normally met by presenting page headings and abbreviated column headings on each page of the financial statement. Judgment is required in determining the best way of presenting such information. For example, when the financial statement is read electronically, separate pages may not be used; the above items are then presented frequently enough to ensure a proper understanding of the information given.

81. Financial statements are often made more understandable by presenting information in thousands or millions of units of the reporting currency. This is acceptable as long as the level of precision in presentation is disclosed and relevant information is not lost.

Reporting Period 82. Financial statements should be presented at least annually.

When, in exceptional circumstances, an entity’s reporting date changes and the annual financial statement is presented for a period longer or shorter than one year, an entity should disclose, in addition to the period covered by the financial statement:

(a) the reason for a period other than one year being used; and

(b) the fact that comparative amounts may not be comparable.


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83. In exceptional circumstances an entity may be required to, or decide to, change its reporting date, for example in order to align the reporting cycle more closely with the budgeting cycle. When this is the case, it is important that users are aware that the amounts shown for the current period and comparative amounts are not comparable and that the reason for the change in reporting date is disclosed.

84. Normally, the financial statement is consistently prepared covering a one-year period. However, some entities prefer to report, for example, for a 52 week period for practical reasons. This Standard does not preclude this practice, as the resulting financial statement is unlikely to be materially different from that which would be presented for one year.

Reporting Cash Flows on a Net Basis 85. Cash flows arising from the following operating, investing or

financing activities may be reported on a net basis:

(a) cash receipts collected and payments made on behalf of taxpayers, beneficiaries or customers when the cash flows reflect the activities of the other party rather than those of the entity; and

(b) cash receipts and payments for items in which the turnover is quick, the amounts are large, and the maturities are short.

86. Paragraph 85(a) is intended to deal with situations where an entity controls the cash flows associated with transactions it administers on behalf of others. Generally an entity managing transactions as an agent for others would not control those cash flows and the transactions would therefore not form part of the cash receipts, cash payments or cash balances of the entity. However, in some circumstances an entity may control the cash balances resulting from administered transactions. Control would generally exist if an entity were able to deploy and benefit from the use of cash balances resulting from administered transactions. In such cases the cash receipts, cash payments and cash balances should be included in the entity’s own financial statement. Where the transactions are large relative to the entity’s own transactions they may make it difficult for readers to assess the nature and amount of the entity’s own activities. For this reason paragraph 85(a) allows the cash flows associated with these transactions to be offset and reported on a net basis. Examples of such activities may include:


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(a) the collection of taxes by one level of government for another level of government, not including taxes collected by a government for its own use as part of a tax sharing arrangement;

(b) the acceptance and repayment of demand deposits of a financial institution;

(c) funds held for customers by an investment or trust entity; and

(d) rents collected on behalf of, and paid over to, the owners of properties.

Examples of cash receipts and payments referred to in paragraph 85(b) are advances made for, and the repayment of:

(a) the purchase and sale of investments; and

(b) other short-term borrowings, for example, those which have a maturity period of three months or less.

87. Cash flows arising from each of the following activities of a public financial institution may be reported on a net basis:

(a) cash receipts and payments for the acceptance and repayment of deposits with a fixed maturity date;

(b) the placement of deposits with and withdrawal of deposits from other financial institutions; and

(c) cash advances and loans made to customers and the repayment of those advances and loans.


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Reporting Issues Extraordinary Items 88. The nature and amount of each extraordinary item should be

separately disclosed. The cash flows associated with extraordinary items should be classified as arising from operating, investing or financing activities as appropriate, and separately disclosed.

89. Extraordinary items are characterized by the fact that they are distinct from an entity’s ordinary activities, are not expected to recur, and are outside the control or influence of the entity. Accordingly, extraordinary items should be rare, unusual and material.

Distinct from Ordinary Activities

90. Virtually all items of receipts and payments included in the cash flow statement arise in the course of the ordinary activities of the entity.

91. Whether an event or transaction is clearly distinct from the ordinary activities of the entity is determined by the nature of the event or transaction in relation to the activities ordinarily carried on by the entity rather than by the frequency with which such events are expected to occur. An event or transaction may be extraordinary for one entity, or level of government, but not extraordinary for another entity, or level of government, because of the differences between their respective ordinary activities. In the context of whole-of-government reporting, extraordinary items will be extremely rare

Not Expected to Recur in Foreseeable Future

92. The event or transaction should be of a type or magnitude that would not reasonably be expected to recur in the foreseeable future, taking into account the environment in which the entity operates. The nature of extraordinary items is such that they would not normally be anticipated at the beginning of a reporting period and therefore would not be included in a budget. Inclusion of an item in a budget suggests that the occurrence of the specific item is foreseen and therefore not extraordinary.


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Outside the Control or Influence of the Entity

93. The event or transaction should be outside the control or influence of the entity. A transaction or event is presumed to be outside the control or influence of an entity if the decisions or determinations of the entity do not normally influence the occurrence of that transaction or event.

Examples of Extraordinary Items

94. Examples of extraordinary items should be considered in the context of the entity’s operating environment and the level of government within which it operates. Judgment should be exercised in each case. Although an event may meet the definition of an extraordinary item for a particular level of government, e.g., local or provincial government, it is unlikely that many events will be extraordinary in the context of a national government.

95. Examples of the costs associated with events or transactions that may, although not necessarily, give rise to extraordinary items for some public sector entities or levels of government are:

(a) short-term costs associated with the provision of services to refugees where the need for such services was unforeseen at the beginning of the period, outside the ordinary scope of activities for the entity and outside the control of the entity. If such services were predictable or occurring in more than one reporting period they would not generally be classified as extraordinary; and

(b) the costs associated with the provision of services following a natural or man-made disaster, e.g., the provision of shelter to homeless people following an earthquake. In order for a particular earthquake to qualify as an extraordinary event it would need to be of a magnitude that would not normally be expected in either the geographic area in which it occurred or the geographic area associated with the entity, and the provision of emergency services or the restoration of essential services would need to be outside the scope of ordinary activities of the entity concerned. Where an entity has responsibility for providing assistance to those affected by natural disasters then the costs associated with this activity would not generally meet the definition of an extraordinary item.


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96. The restructuring of activities is an example of an event which would normally not be extraordinary for either an individual public sector entity or the whole-of-government entity which incorporates that government body. All three criteria within the definition of an extraordinary item must be satisfied before an item can be classified as extraordinary. A restructuring may clearly be distinct from the ordinary activities of the entity. However, at the whole-of-government level, restructuring may occur frequently. More importantly, restructuring is usually within the control or influence of a whole-of-government entity. It is only in circumstances where the restructuring is imposed by another level of government, an international government, or by an external regulator that it could be classified as outside the control or influence of the entity.

97. The disclosure of the nature and amount of each extraordinary item may be made on the face of the cash flow statement, or in the notes to the financial statement. If disclosure is made in the notes to the financial statement, the total amount of all extraordinary items should be disclosed on the face of the cash flow statement.

Fundamental Errors 98. Errors in the preparation of the financial statement of one or

more prior periods may be discovered in the current period. Errors may occur as a result of mathematical mistakes, mistakes in applying accounting policies, misinterpretation of facts, fraud or oversights. The correction of these errors is normally included in the cash flows for the current period.

99. On rare occasions, an error has such a significant effect on the financial statement of one or more prior periods that those financial statements can no longer be considered to have been reliable at the date of their issue. These errors are referred to as fundamental errors. An example of a fundamental error is the omission of a major class of receipts or payments from the financial statement. The correction of fundamental errors that relate to prior periods requires the restatement of the comparative information or the presentation of additional pro forma information.

100. When a fundamental error arises in relation to a cash balance, the amount of the correction of a fundamental error that relates to prior periods should be reported by adjusting the


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cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period. Comparative information should be restated, unless it is impracticable to do so.

101. When a fundamental error arises in relation to a cash balance, the cash flow statement, including the comparative information for prior periods, is presented as if the fundamental error had been corrected in the period in which it was made. Therefore the amount of the correction that relates to each period presented is included within the net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents for that period. The amount of the correction relating to periods prior to those included in the comparative information in the cash flow statement is adjusted against the cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period in the earliest period presented. Any other information reported with respect to prior periods, such as historical summaries of financial data, is also restated.

102. The restatement of comparative information does not necessarily give rise to the amendment of a financial statement which has been approved by the governing body or registered or filed with regulatory authorities. However, national laws may require the amendment of such financial statements.

103. An entity should disclose the following:

(a) the nature of the fundamental error;

(b) the amount of the correction for the current period and for each prior period presented;

(c) the amount of the correction relating to periods prior to those included in the comparative information; and

(d) the fact that comparative information has been restated or that it is impracticable to do so.

Foreign Currency Cash Flows 104. Cash flows arising from transactions in a foreign currency

should be recorded in an entity’s reporting currency by applying to the foreign currency amount the exchange rate between the reporting currency and the foreign currency at the date of the cash flows.

105. The cash flows of a foreign controlled entity should be translated at the exchange rates between the reporting


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currency and the foreign currency at the dates of the cash flows.

106. An entity should disclose the amount of exchange differences included as reconciling items between opening and closing cash balances for the period.

107. Unrealized gains and losses arising from changes in foreign currency exchange rates are not cash flows. However, the effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents held or due in a foreign currency is reported in the cash flow statement in order to reconcile cash and cash equivalents at the beginning and the end of the period. This amount is presented separately from cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities and includes the differences, if any, had those cash flows been reported at end-of-period exchange rates.

108. When the reporting currency is different from the currency of the country in which the entity is domiciled, the reason for using a different currency should be disclosed. The reason for any change in the reporting currency should also be disclosed.

Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies 109. In a hyperinflationary economy, the presentation of the financial

statement in the local currency without restatement is not useful. Money loses purchasing power at such a rate that comparison of amounts from transactions and other events that have occurred at different times, even within the same accounting period, is misleading.

110. This Standard does not establish an absolute rate at which hyperinflation is deemed to arise. It is a matter of judgment when restatement of financial statements in accordance with this Standard becomes necessary. Hyperinflation is indicated by characteristics of the economic environment of a country which include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) the general population prefers to keep its wealth in non-monetary assets or in a relatively stable foreign currency. Amounts of local currency held are immediately invested to maintain purchasing power;

(b) the general population regards monetary amounts not in terms of the local currency but in terms of a relatively


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stable foreign currency. Prices may be quoted in that currency;

(c) sales and purchases on credit take place at prices that compensate for the expected loss of purchasing power during the credit period, even if the period is short;

(d) interest rates, wages and prices are linked to a price index; and

(e) the cumulative inflation rate over three years is approaching, or exceeds, 100%.

The Restatement of a Financial Statement

111. Prices change over time as the result of various political, economic and social forces. Specific forces such as changes in supply and demand, and technological changes may cause individual prices to increase or decrease significantly and independently of each other. In addition, general forces may result in changes in the general level of prices and therefore in the general purchasing power of money.

112. In a hyperinflationary economy, a financial statement is useful only if it is expressed in terms of the measuring unit current at the reporting date. As a result, this Standard applies to the primary financial statement of entities reporting in the currency of a hyperinflationary economy. Presentation of the information required by this Standard as a supplement to an unrestated financial statement is not permitted. Furthermore, separate presentation of the financial statement before restatement is discouraged.

113. The financial statement of an entity that reports in the currency of a hyperinflationary economy should be stated in terms of the measuring unit current at the reporting date. The comparative information for the previous period, and any information in respect of earlier periods should also be stated in terms of the measuring unit current at the reporting date.

114. All items in the cash flow statement should be expressed in terms of the measuring unit current at the reporting date. Therefore all amounts are restated by applying the change in the general price index from the dates when the payments and receipts were initially recorded.

115. Many entities in the public sector include in their financial statement the related budgetary information, to facilitate


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comparisons with the budget. Where this occurs, the budgetary information should also be restated in accordance with this Standard.

Comparative Information

116. Comparative information for the previous reporting period is restated by applying a general price index so that the comparative financial statement is presented in terms of the measurement unit current at the end of the reporting period. Information that is disclosed in respect of earlier periods is also expressed in terms of the measurement unit current at the end of the reporting period.

Consolidated Financial Statement

117. A controlling entity that reports in the currency of a hyperinflationary economy may have controlled entities that also report in the currencies of hyperinflationary economies. The financial statement of any such controlled entity needs to be restated by applying a general price index of the country in whose currency it reports before they are included in the consolidated financial statement issued by its controlling entity. Where such a controlled entity is a foreign controlled entity, its restated financial statement is translated at closing rates.

118. If financial statements with different reporting dates are consolidated, all items, whether non-monetary or monetary, need to be restated into the measuring unit current at the date of the consolidated financial statement.

Selection and Use of the General Price Index

119. The restatement of financial statements in accordance with this Standard requires the use of a general price index that reflects changes in general purchasing power. It is preferable that all entities that report in the currency of the same economy use the same index.

Accounting for Investments Acquisitions and Disposals of Controlled Entities and Other Operating Units 120. The aggregate cash flows arising from acquisitions and from

disposals of controlled entities or other operating units should be presented separately and classified as investing activities.


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121. An entity should disclose, in aggregate, in respect of both acquisitions and disposals of controlled entities or other operating units during the period, each of the following:

(a) the total purchase or disposal consideration (including cash or other assets);

(b) the portion of the purchase or disposal consideration discharged by means of cash and cash equivalents;

(c) the amount of cash and cash equivalents in the controlled entity or operating unit acquired or disposed of; and

(d) the amount of the assets and liabilities other than cash or cash equivalents recognized by the controlled entity or operating unit acquired or disposed of, summarized by each major category.

122. The separate presentation of the cash flow effects of acquisitions and disposals of controlled entities and other operating units as single line items, together with the separate disclosure of the amounts of assets and liabilities acquired or disposed of, helps to distinguish those cash flows from the cash flows arising from the other operating, investing and financing activities. The cash flow effects of disposals are not deducted from those acquisitions.

123. The aggregate amount of the cash paid or received as purchase or sale consideration is reported in the cash flow statement net of cash and cash equivalents acquired or disposed of.

124. Assets and liabilities other than cash or cash equivalents of a controlled entity or operating unit acquired or disposed of are only required to be disclosed where the controlled entity or unit had previously recognized those assets or liabilities. For example, where a public sector entity which prepares reports under the cash basis is acquired by another public sector entity, the acquiring entity would not be required to disclose the assets and liabilities (other than cash and cash equivalents) of the entity acquired as that entity would not have recognized non-cash assets or liabilities.


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Scope of a Consolidated Financial Statement

125. A controlling entity should issue a consolidated financial statement which consolidates all controlled entities, foreign and domestic, other than those referred to in paragraph 128.

126. A financial reporting entity which produces a general purpose financial statement needs some guiding principle to determine which entities are included within its consolidated financial statement. The financial reporting entity may consist of a number of entities including government departments, agencies and Government Business Enterprises. Determining the scope of the financial reporting entity can be difficult due to the large number of potential entities. For this reason, financial reporting entities are often determined by legislation. Consistent with International Public Sector Accounting Standard IPSAS 6 Consolidated Financial Statements and Accounting for Controlled Entities, this Standard requires that control/ownership be used as the determining criterion. Appendix 5 illustrates the application of the concept of control in determining the financial reporting entity. In some cases, the financial reporting entity may differ from the reporting entity specified by legislation and additional disclosures may be necessary to satisfy the legislative reporting requirements.

127. Consolidating all controlled entities will result in a consolidation of all cash flows and balances that are controlled by the controlling entity.

128. A controlled entity should be excluded from consolidation when:

(a) control is intended to be temporary because the controlled entity is acquired and held exclusively with a view to its subsequent disposal in the near future; or

(b) it operates under severe external long-term restrictions which prevent the controlling entity from benefiting from its activities.

129. An example of temporary control is where a controlled entity is acquired with a firm plan to dispose of it in the short term. This may occur where an economic entity is acquired and an entity within it is to be disposed of because its activities are dissimilar to those of the acquirer. Temporary control also occurs where the controlling entity intends to cede control over a controlled


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entity to another entity — for example a national government may transfer its interest in a controlled entity to a local government. For this exemption to apply, the controlling entity must be demonstrably committed to a formal plan to dispose of, or no longer control, the entity that is subject to temporary control. For the exemption to apply at more than one successive reporting date, the controlling entity must demonstrate an ongoing intent to dispose of, or no longer control, the entity that is subject to temporary control. An entity is demonstrably committed to dispose of, or no longer control, another entity when it has a formal plan to do so and there is no realistic possibility of withdrawal from that plan.

Presentation of a Consolidated Financial Statement 130. A controlling entity, other than a controlling entity mentioned

in paragraph 131, should present a consolidated financial statement.

131. A controlling entity that is a wholly owned controlled entity, or is virtually wholly owned, need not present a consolidated financial statement provided users of such a financial statement are unlikely to exist or their information needs are met by the controlling entity’s consolidated financial statements; or in the case of one that is virtually wholly owned, the controlling entity obtains the approval of the owners of the minority interest. Such a controlling entity should disclose the reasons why the consolidated financial statement has not been presented together with the bases on which controlled entities are accounted for in its separate financial statement. The name and the principal address of its controlling entity that publishes a consolidated financial statement should also be disclosed.

132. For the purpose of this Standard, the minority interest is that part of a controlled entity attributable to interests which are not owned, directly or indirectly through controlled entities, by the controlling entity.

133. Users of the financial statement of a controlling entity are usually concerned with, and need to be informed about, the cash resources of the economic entity as a whole. This need is served by consolidated financial statements, which present financial


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information about the economic entity as a single entity without regard for the legal boundaries of the separate legal entities.

134. A controlling entity that is itself wholly owned by another entity may not always present a consolidated financial statement since such a statement may not be required by its controlling entity and the needs of other users may be best served by the consolidated financial statement of its controlling entity. However, in the public sector many controlling entities that are either wholly owned or virtually wholly owned, represent key sectors or activities of a government and the purpose of this Standard is not to exempt such entities from preparing a consolidated financial statement. In this situation, the information needs of certain users may not be served by the consolidated financial statement at a whole-of-government level alone. In many jurisdictions governments have recognized this and have legislated the financial reporting requirements of such entities.

135. In some jurisdictions, a controlling entity is also exempted from presenting a consolidated financial statement if it is virtually wholly owned by another entity and the controlling entity obtains the approval of the owners of the minority interest. Virtually wholly owned is often taken to mean that the controlling entity owns 90% or more of the voting power.

136. In some instances, an economic entity will include a number of intermediate controlling entities. For example, whilst a department of health may be the ultimate controlling entity, there may be intermediate controlling entities at the local or regional health authority level. Accountability and reporting requirements in each jurisdiction may specify which entities are required to (or exempted from the requirement to) prepare a consolidated financial statement. Where there is no specific reporting requirement for an intermediate controlling entity to prepare a consolidated financial statement for which users are likely to exist, intermediate controlling entities are encouraged to prepare and publish a consolidated financial statement.

Consolidation Procedures 137. The following consolidation procedures apply:

(a) cash balances and cash transactions between entities within the economic entity should be eliminated in full;


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(b) when the financial statements used in the consolidation are drawn up to different reporting dates, adjustments should be made for the effects of significant cash transactions that may occur between those dates and the date of the controlling entity’s financial statement. In any case, the difference between the reporting dates should be no more than three months; and

(c) a consolidated primary financial statement should be prepared using uniform accounting policies for like cash transactions. If it is not practicable to use uniform accounting policies (other than the bases of accounting) in preparing the consolidated financial statement, that fact should be disclosed together with the proportions of the items in the consolidated financial statement to which the different accounting policies have been applied.

138. When the consolidated financial statement is prepared on a cash basis the consolidation procedures outlined in paragraph 137 provide the basis for preparing a consolidated cash flow statement for all the entities within the economic entity as a single economic unit.

139. The consolidated cash flow statement should only reflect transactions between the economic entity and other entities external to it. Accordingly, transactions between entities within the economic entity are eliminated to avoid double-counting. For example, a government department may sell a physical asset to another government department. Because the net cash effect on the whole-of-government reporting entity is zero, this transaction needs to be eliminated to avoid overstating the cash receipts and cash payments of the whole-of-government reporting entity. A government agency may hold funds with a public financial institution. These balances would be eliminated at whole-of-government level because they represent balances within the economic entity. Similarly, a GBE operating overseas may make a payment to a government department which remains in transit at the reporting date. In this case, failure to eliminate the transaction would result in understating the cash balance of the economic entity and overstating its cash payments.


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Financial Reporting of Interests in Joint Ventures Forms of Joint Venture 140. Many public sector entities establish joint ventures to undertake

a variety of activities. The nature of these activities range from commercial undertakings to provision of community services at no charge. The terms of a joint venture are set out in a contract or other binding arrangement and usually specify the initial contribution from each joint venturer and the share of revenues or other benefits (if any), and expenses of each of the joint venturers.

141. Appendix 6 describes the different forms and structures that joint ventures may take.

Jointly Controlled Operations 142. In respect of its interests in jointly controlled operations, a

venturer should recognize in its separate financial statement and consequently in its consolidated financial statement:

(a) the cash payments that it makes and its share of the cash receipts from the sale or provision of goods or services by the joint venture; and

(b) the assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents that it controls.

143. Because the cash flows and cash balances are already recognized in the separate financial statement of the venturer, and consequently in its consolidated financial statement, no adjustments or other consolidation procedures are required in respect of these items when the venturer presents a consolidated financial statement.


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Jointly Controlled Assets 144. In respect of its interests in jointly controlled assets, a venturer

should recognize in its financial statement and consequently in its consolidated financial statement:

(a) any cash receipts from the sale or use of its share of the output of the joint venture, together with its share of any cash payments made by the joint venture and any cash payments which it has made in respect of its interest in the joint venture; and

(b) its share of jointly controlled assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents.

145. Because the cash flows and assets in the form of cash are already recognized in the separate financial statement of the venturer, and consequently in the consolidated financial statement, no adjustments or other consolidation procedures are required in respect of those items when the venturer presents a consolidated financial statement.

Jointly Controlled Entities 146. In its consolidated financial statement, a venturer should

report its interest in a jointly controlled entity by proportionately consolidating:

(a) its share of the cash payments and cash receipts of that entity; and

(b) the assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents of that entity.

147. When an entity is jointly controlled, the cash resources of that entity should be consolidated with the cash resources of the venturer to the extent that the venturer jointly controls that cash. For example, if a venturer had a 50% interest in a jointly controlled entity, it would proportionately consolidate its share (50%) of the cash balances of the jointly controlled entity. When such a proportionate consolidation is undertaken, the venturer need only disclose the cash inflows and cash outflows resulting from this procedure as a single line item: “net cash flows from jointly controlled entities” in the cash flow statement.


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Disclosures Additional Information 148. Entities are encouraged to present additional information to

assist users in understanding the factors that have influenced the entity’s performance for the reporting period, measured in cash terms. Examples of this information may include:

(a) disaggregated reporting of cash payments and cash receipts, by individual fund or program;

(b) disaggregated cash flows compared with appropriation, budget authorization or equivalent;

(c) reporting of cash flows according to the classifications used in the System of National Accounts and the International Monetary Fund’s Government Finance Statistics; and

(d) details of the entity’s outputs (and related outcomes) in the form of performance indicators, statements of service performance and program review.

Supplementary information provided should satisfy the qualitative characteristics outlined in Appendix 4.

Comparative Information 149. Unless a provision of this Standard permits or requires

otherwise, comparative information should be disclosed in respect of the previous period for all numerical information in the financial statement, except in respect of the financial statement for the reporting period to which this Standard is first applied. Comparative information should be included in narrative and descriptive information when it is relevant to an understanding of the current period’s financial statement.

150. In some cases narrative information provided in the financial statement for the previous period(s) continues to be relevant in the current period. For example, details of a legal dispute, the outcome of which was uncertain at the last reporting date and is yet to be resolved, are disclosed in the current period. Users benefit from knowing that the uncertainty existed at the last reporting date, and the steps that have been taken during the period to resolve the uncertainty.


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151. When the presentation or classification of items in the financial statement is amended, comparative amounts should be reclassified, unless it is impracticable to do so, to ensure comparability with the current period, and the nature, amount of, and reason for any reclassification should be disclosed. When it is impracticable to reclassify comparative amounts, an entity should disclose the reason for not reclassifying and the nature of the changes that would have been made if amounts were reclassified.

152. Circumstances may exist when it is impracticable to reclassify comparative information to achieve comparability with the current period. For example, data may not have been collected in the previous period(s) in a way which allows reclassification, and it may not be practicable to recreate the information. In such circumstances, the nature of the adjustments to comparative amounts that would have been made is disclosed.

Comparison with Budgets 153. Public sector entities are typically subject to budgetary limits in

the form of appropriations or other budgetary authority which may be given effect through authorizing legislation. One of the objectives of financial reporting by public sector entities is to report on whether cash was obtained and used in accordance with the legally adopted budget. Where the financial statement and the budget are on the same basis of accounting, this Standard encourages the inclusion in the financial statement of a comparison with the budgeted amounts for the reporting period. Reporting against budgets may be presented in different ways, including:

(a) the use of a columnar format for the financial statement, with separate columns for budgeted amounts and actual amounts. A column showing any variances from the budget or appropriation may also be presented, for completeness; and

(b) a statement by the individual(s) responsible for the preparation of the financial statements that the budgeted amounts have not been exceeded. If any budgeted amounts or appropriations have been exceeded, or expenses incurred without appropriation or other form of authority, then details may be disclosed by way of footnote to the relevant item in the financial statement.


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Other Disclosures 154. When an entity elects to disclose information prepared on a

different basis from the cash basis of accounting, such information should be disclosed in the notes to the financial statement but should not be included in the amounts recognized in the financial statement.

155. Entities that report using the cash basis of accounting frequently collect information on items that are not recognized under cash accounting. Examples of the type of information that may be collected include details of:

(a) liabilities and assets;

(b) commitments; and

(c) contingent liabilities.

In these circumstances, entities are encouraged to disclose such information in the notes to the financial statement where that information is likely to be useful to users.

156. An entity should disclose, together with a commentary in the notes to the financial statement, the nature and amount of:

(a) significant cash and cash equivalent balances that are not available for use by the entity;

(b) significant cash and cash equivalent balances that are subject to external restrictions; and

(c) undrawn borrowing facilities that may be available for future operating activities and to settle capital commitments, indicating any restrictions on the use of these facilities, and the movements between the opening and closing balances of undrawn borrowing facilities.

157. There are various circumstances in which cash and cash equivalent balances held by an entity are not available for use by the entity. Examples include cash and cash equivalent balances held by a controlled entity that operates in a country where exchange controls or other legal restrictions apply when the balances are not available for general use by the controlling entity or other controlled entities.

158. Cash and cash equivalent balances controlled by an entity may be subject to restrictions which limit the purpose or timing of use. This situation often exists when an entity receives a grant


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or donation which must be used for a specific purpose. Although these funds are usually controlled by the entity and reported as a cash balance of the entity, separate disclosure of such items is helpful to readers.

159. Undrawn borrowing facilities represent a potential source of cash for an entity. Disclosure of the amount of these facilities, by significant type, and movements between the opening and closing balances of these facilities, allows readers to assess the availability of such funds, and the extent to which the entity has made use of these sources of funds during the reporting period.

160. An entity should disclose, in the notes to the financial statement, the amount and nature of cash flows and cash balances resulting from transactions administered by the entity as agent on behalf of others and outside the control of the entity.

161. The cash flows and cash balances associated with transactions administered by an entity, acting as an agent on behalf of others, may be outside the control of the entity and would therefore not be included in the totals shown on the face of the cash flow statement. However, disclosure of the amount and nature of these transactions, by major type, provides useful information on the scope of the entity’s activities.

162. Where such cash flows and balances are within the control of the entity, they are treated as flows and balances of the entity itself and included in the totals shown on the face of the cash flow statement. Paragraph 85 permits such flows to be reported on a net basis.

163. Additional information may be relevant to users in understanding the financial position and liquidity of an entity. Disclosure of this information, together with a description in the notes to the financial statement, is encouraged and may include the aggregate amounts of the cash flows from each of operating, investing and financing activities related to interests in joint ventures reported using proportionate consolidation.

164. An entity should disclose the following if not disclosed elsewhere in information published with the financial statement:

(a) the domicile and legal form of the entity, and the jurisdiction within which it operates;


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(b) a description of the nature of the entity’s operations and principal activities;

(c) a reference to the relevant legislation governing the entity’s operations; and

(d) the name of the controlling entity and the ultimate controlling entity of the economic entity (where applicable).

Disclosures – Hyperinflation 165. The following disclosures should be made:

(a) the fact that the financial statement and the corresponding figures for previous periods have been restated for the changes in the general purchasing power of the reporting currency and, as a result, are stated in terms of the measuring unit current at the reporting date; and

(b) the identity and level of the price index at the reporting date and the movement in the index during the current and the previous reporting period.

166. The disclosures required by this Standard are needed to make clear the basis of dealing with the effects of inflation in the financial statement. They are also intended to provide other information necessary to understand that basis and the resulting amounts.

Disclosures – Consolidated Financial Statement 167. In addition to any other disclosures required by this Standard,

the following disclosures should be made:

(a) in a consolidated financial statement, a listing of significant controlled entities including the name, the jurisdiction in which it operates (when it is different from that of the controlling entity), proportion of ownership interest and, where that interest is in the form of shares, the proportion of voting power held (only where this is different from the proportionate ownership interest);

(b) in a consolidated financial statement, where applicable:

(i) the reasons for not consolidating a controlled entity;

(ii) the name of any controlled entity in which the controlling entity holds an ownership interest


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and/or voting rights of 50% or less, together with an explanation of how control exists;

(iii) the name of any entity in which an ownership interest of more than 50% is held but which is not a controlled entity, together with an explanation of why control does not exist; and

(iv) the effect of the acquisition and disposal of controlled entities on the financial position at the reporting date, the results for the reporting period and on the corresponding amounts for the preceding period; and

(c) in the controlling entity’s separate financial statement, a description of the method used to account for controlled entities.

Disclosure – Joint Ventures 168. A venturer should disclose a listing and description of interests

in significant joint ventures and the proportion of ownership interest held in jointly controlled entities when this can be reliably determined.

Transitional Provisions 169. Entities are not required to comply with the requirement in

paragraph 137(a) concerning the elimination of cash balances and transactions between entities within the economic entity for reporting periods beginning on a date within three years following the date of first adoption of this Standard.

170. Controlling entities that adopt this Standard may have large numbers of controlled entities with significant volumes of transactions between these entities. Accordingly, it may be difficult to identify all the transactions and balances that need to be eliminated for the purpose of preparing the consolidated financial statement of the economic entity. For this reason, paragraph 169 provides relief, during the transitional period, from the requirement to eliminate cash balances and transactions between entities within the economic entity in full.

171. Where entities apply the transitional provision in paragraph 169, they should disclose the fact that not all balances and transactions between entities within the economic entity have been eliminated.


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Effective Date 172. This International Public Sector Accounting Standard

becomes effective for annual financial statements covering periods beginning on or after XX Month Year. Earlier application is encouraged.


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Appendix 1 – Cash Flow Statement: Whole-of-Government This appendix is illustrative only and does not form part of the standards. The purpose of this appendix is to assist in clarifying the meaning of the standards by illustrating their application to an entity preparing a financial statement for the whole-of-government level.

PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY – WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 20X2 (ILLUSTRATING THE CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATING PAYMENTS BY FUNCTION)

(in thousands of currency units) 20X2 20X1 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Receipts

Taxation X X Fees, fines, penalties and licenses X X Receipts from exchange transactions X X Operating grants from international entities X X Other receipts X X

Total receipts X X Payments

Education services (X) (X) Health (X) (X) Social security and welfare (X) (X) Other payments (X) (X)

Total payments (X) (X) Net cash flows from operating activities X X CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Purchase/construction of plant and equipment (X) (X) Proceeds from sale of plant and equipment X X Purchase of financial instruments (X) (X)

Net cash flows from investing activities (X) (X) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from borrowings X X Repayment of borrowings (X) (X) Dividends/distributions paid (X) (X) Net cash flows from financing activities X X Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents X X Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period X X Cash and cash equivalents at end of period X X


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PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY – WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 20X2 (ILLUSTRATING THE CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATING PAYMENTS BY NATURE)


Taxation X X Fees, fines, penalties and licenses X X Receipts from exchange transactions X X Operating grants from international entities X X Other receipts X X


Wages, salaries and employee benefits (X) (X) Grants and other transfer payments (X) (X) Supplies and consumables (X) (X) Interest payments (X) (X) Other payments (X) (X)




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Notes to the Cash Flow Statement

PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY – WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT

Note 1 Statement of Accounting Policies

Reporting entity This financial statement is for a public sector entity (national government of Country A). The financial statement encompasses the reporting entity as specified in the relevant legislation (Public Finance Act 20XX). This comprises: • central government ministries; and • Government Business Enterprises.

Reporting currency The reporting currency is (currency of Country A).

Basis of preparation The financial statement complies with the International Public Sector Accounting Standard for the cash basis of accounting.

The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the period.

Compliance with IPSAS The financial statement has been prepared in accordance with IPSAS XX Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of Accounting.

Note 2 Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and balances with banks and investments in money market instruments. Cash and cash equivalents included in the cash flow statement comprise the following amounts:

20X2 20X1 Cash on hand and balances with banks X X

Short-term investments X X

X X

Note 3 Undrawn Borrowing Facilities

Movement in Undrawn Borrowing Facilities 31.12.X2 31.12.X1 Undrawn borrowing facilities at 1.1.X2 X X

New commitments X X

Total available X X

Disbursements (X) (X)

Cancellations (X) (X)

Undrawn borrowing facilities at 31.12.X2. X X

The entity has undrawn borrowing facilities of X, of which X must be used on infrastructure projects.

Undrawn Borrowing Facilities by Agency 31.12.X2 31.12.X1 IMF X X

World Bank X X

Regional Development Banks X X

Other X X

Total undrawn borrowing facilities X X


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Appendix 2 – Cash Flow Statement: State or Provincial Government This appendix is illustrative only and does not form part of the standards. The purpose of this appendix is to assist in clarifying the meaning of the standards by illustrating their application to a state or provincial government.

PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY – STATE OR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 20X2 (ILLUSTRATING THE CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATING PAYMENTS BY FUNCTION)


State or provincial taxation X X Fees, fines, penalties and licenses X X Receipts from exchange transactions X X Operating grants from national government X X Other receipts X X


Police services (X) (X) Housing development (X) (X) Recreational and sporting services (X) (X) Other payments (X) (X)




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PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY – STATE OR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 20X2 (ILLUSTRATING THE CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATING PAYMENTS BY NATURE)


State or Provincial Taxation X X Fees, fines, penalties and licenses X X Receipts from exchange transactions X X Operating grants from national government X X Other receipts X X


Wages, salaries and employee benefits (X) (X) Grants and other transfer payments (X) (X) Supplies and consumables (X) (X) Interest payments (X) (X) Other payments (X) (X)




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PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY – STATE OR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

Note 1 Statement of Accounting Policies

Reporting entity This financial statement is for a public sector entity (government of State A, Country A). The financial statement encompasses the reporting entity as specified in the relevant legislation (Public Finance Act 20XX). This comprises: • state government ministries; and • Government Business Enterprises.

Reporting currency The reporting currency is (currency of Country A).

Basis of preparation The financial statement complies with the International Public Sector Accounting Standard for the cash basis of accounting.

The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the period.

Compliance with IPSAS The financial statement has been prepared in accordance with IPSAS XX Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of Accounting.

Note 2 Cash and Cash Equivalents


20X2 20X1 Cash on hand and balances with banks X X

Short-term investments X X

X X


Movement in Undrawn Borrowing Facilities 31.12.X2 31.12.X1 Undrawn borrowing facilities at 1.1.X2 X X

New commitments X X

Total available X X

Disbursements (X) (X)

Cancellations (X) (X)

Undrawn borrowing facilities at 31.12.X2. X X

The entity has undrawn borrowing facilities of X, of which X must be used on infrastructure projects.

Undrawn Borrowing Facilities by Agency 31.12.X2 31.12.X1 IMF X X

World Bank X X

Regional Development Banks X X

Other X X

Total undrawn borrowing facilities X X


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Appendix 3 – Cash Flow Statement: Government Agency This appendix is illustrative only and does not form part of the standards. The purpose of this appendix is to assist in clarifying the meaning of the standards by illustrating their application to a government agency.

PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY – GOVERNMENT AGENCY CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 20X2 (ILLUSTRATING THE CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATING PAYMENTS BY NATURE)1


Receipts from exchange transactions X X Operating grants from national or state governments X X Other receipts X X


Wages, salaries and employee benefits (X) (X) Supplies and consumables (X) (X) Interest payments (X) (X) Other payments (X) (X)


Net cash flows from investing activities (X) (X) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from borrowings X X Repayment of borrowings (X) (X) Net cash flows from financing activities X X Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents X X Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period X X Cash and cash equivalents at end of period X X

1 As this entity operates in one functional area only, no classification of expenses by function is provided.


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PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITY – GOVERNMENT AGENCY Note 1 Statement of Accounting Policies

Reporting entity This financial statement is for a public sector entity (Government Agency A). The financial statement encompasses the reporting entity as specified in the relevant legislation (Public Finance Act 20XX). This comprises Government Agency A. Government Agency A is controlled by the national government of Country A. Reporting currency The reporting currency is (currency of Country A). Basis of preparation The financial statement complies with the International Public Sector Accounting Standard for the cash basis of accounting. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the period. Compliance with IPSAS The financial statement has been prepared in accordance with IPSAS XX Financial Reporting under the Cash Basis of Accounting. Note 2 Cash and Cash Equivalents


20X2 20X1 Cash on hand and balances with banks X X Short-term investments X X X X


There are no undrawn borrowing facilities. All borrowing is undertaken by the central government.


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Appendix 4 – Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Reporting

Paragraph 61 of this Standard requires the development of accounting policies to ensure that the financial statement provides information that meets a number of qualitative characteristics. This appendix summarizes the qualitative characteristics of financial reporting.

Qualitative characteristics are the attributes that make the information provided in financial statements useful to users. They are applicable to financial statements, regardless of the basis of accounting used to prepare the financial statements. The four principal qualitative characteristics are understandability, relevance, reliability and comparability.

Understandability

Information is understandable when users might reasonably be expected to comprehend its meaning. For this purpose, users are assumed to have a reasonable knowledge of the entity’s activities and the environment in which it operates, and to be willing to study the information.

Information about complex matters should not be excluded from the financial statements merely on the grounds that it may be too difficult for certain users to understand.

Relevance

Information is relevant to users if it can be used to assist in evaluating past, present or future events or in confirming, or correcting, past evaluations. In order to be relevant, information must also be timely.

Materiality

The relevance of information is affected by its nature and materiality. Information is material if its omission or misstatement could influence the decisions of users or assessments made on the basis of the financial statement. Materiality depends on the nature or size of the item or error judged in the particular circumstances of its omission or misstatement. Thus, materiality provides a threshold or cut-off point rather than being a primary qualitative characteristic which information must have if it is to be useful.


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Reliability

Reliable information is free from material error and bias, and can be depended on by users to represent faithfully that which it purports to represent or could reasonably be expected to represent.

Faithful Representation

For information to represent faithfully transactions and other events, it should be presented in accordance with the substance of the transactions and other events, and not merely their legal form.

Substance Over Form

If information is to represent faithfully the transactions and other events that it purports to represent, it is necessary that they are accounted for and presented in accordance with their substance and economic reality and not merely their legal form. The substance of transactions or other events is not always consistent with their legal form.

Neutrality

Information is neutral if it is free from bias. Financial statements are not neutral if the information they contain has been selected or presented in a manner designed to influence the making of decisions or judgment in order to achieve a predetermined result or outcome.

Prudence

Prudence is the inclusion of a degree of caution in the exercise of the judgments needed in making the estimates required under conditions of uncertainty, such that assets or revenue are not overstated and liabilities or expenses are not understated.

Completeness

The information in financial statements should be complete within the bounds of materiality and cost.

Comparability

Information in a financial statement is comparable when users are able to identify similarities and differences between that information and information in other reports.

Comparability applies to the:

• comparison of financial statements of different entities; and


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• comparison of the financial statements of the same entity over periods of time.

An important implication of the characteristic of comparability is that users need to be informed of the policies employed in the preparation of the financial statement, changes to those policies and the effects of those changes.

Because users wish to compare the performance of an entity over time, it is important that the financial statement shows corresponding information for preceding periods.

Constraints on Relevant and Reliable Information

Timeliness

If there is an undue delay in the reporting of information it may lose its relevance. To provide information on a timely basis it may often be necessary to report before all aspects of a transaction are known, thus impairing reliability. Conversely, if reporting is delayed until all aspects are known, the information may be highly reliable but of little use to users who have had to make decisions in the interim. In achieving a balance between relevance and reliability, the overriding consideration is how best to satisfy the decision-making needs of users.

Balance between Benefit and Cost

The balance between benefit and cost is a pervasive constraint. The benefits derived from information should exceed the cost of providing it. The evaluation of benefits and costs is, however, substantially a matter of judgment. Furthermore, the costs do not always fall on those users who enjoy the benefits. Benefits may also be enjoyed by users other than those for whom the information was prepared. For these reasons, it is difficult to apply a benefit-cost test in any particular case. Nevertheless, standard-setters, as well as those responsible for the preparation of financial statements and users of financial statements, should be aware of this constraint.

Balance between Qualitative Characteristics

In practice a balancing, or trade-off, between qualitative characteristics is often necessary. Generally the aim is to achieve an appropriate balance among the characteristics in order to meet the objectives of financial statements. The relative importance of the characteristics in different cases is a matter of professional judgment.


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Appendix 5 – Establishing Control of Another Entity for Financial Reporting Purposes 1. Whether an entity controls another entity for financial reporting

purposes is a matter of judgment based on the definition of control in this Standard and the particular circumstances of each case. That is, consideration needs to be given to the nature of the relationship between the two entities. In particular, the two elements of the definition of control in this Standard need to be considered. These are the power element (the power to govern the financial and operating policies of another entity) and the benefit element (which represents the ability of the controlling entity to benefit from the activities of the other entity).

2. For the purposes of establishing control, the controlling entity needs to benefit from the activities of the other entity. For example, an entity may benefit from the activities of another entity in terms of a distribution of its surpluses (such as a dividend) and is exposed to the risk of a potential loss. In other cases, an entity may not obtain any financial benefits from the other entity but may benefit from its ability to direct the other entity to work with it to achieve its objectives. It may also be possible for an entity to derive both financial and non-financial benefits from the activities of another entity. For example, a Government Business Enterprise (GBE) may provide a controlling entity with a dividend and also enable it to achieve some of its social policy objectives.

Control for Financial Reporting Purposes

3. For the purposes of financial reporting, control stems from an entity’s power to govern the financial and operating policies of another entity and does not necessarily require an entity to hold a majority shareholding or other equity interest in the other entity. The power to control must be presently exercisable. That is, the entity must already have had this power conferred upon it by legislation or some formal agreement. The power to control is not presently exercisable if it requires changing legislation or renegotiating agreements in order to be effective. This should be distinguished from the fact that the existence of the power to control another entity is not dependent upon the probability or likelihood of that power being exercised.


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4. Similarly, the existence of control does not require an entity to have responsibility for the management of (or involvement in) the day-to-day operations of the other entity. In many cases, an entity may only exercise its power to control another entity where there is a breach or revocation of an agreement between a controlled entity and its controlling entity.

5. For example, a government department may have an ownership interest in a rail authority, which operates as a GBE. The rail authority is allowed to operate autonomously and does not rely on the government for funding but has raised capital through significant borrowings that are guaranteed by the government. The rail authority has not returned a dividend to government for several years. The government has the power to appoint and remove a majority of the members of the governing body of the rail authority. The government has never exercised the power to remove members of the governing body and would be reluctant to do so because of sensitivity in the electorate regarding the previous government’s involvement in the operation of the rail network. In this case, the power to control is presently exercisable but under the existing relationship between the controlled entity and controlling entity, an event has not occurred to warrant the controlling entity exercising its powers over the controlled entity. Accordingly, control exists because the power to control is sufficient even though the controlling entity may choose not to exercise that power.

6. The existence of separate legislative powers does not, of itself, preclude an entity from being controlled by another entity. For example, the office of government statistician usually has statutory powers to operate independently of the government. That is, the government statistician may have the power to obtain information and report on their findings without recourse to government or any other body. The existence of control does not require an entity to have responsibility over the day-to-day operations of another entity or the manner in which professional functions are performed by the entity.

7. The power of one entity to govern decision-making in relation to the financial and operating policies of another entity is insufficient, in itself, to ensure the existence of control as defined in this Standard. The controlling entity needs to be able to govern decision-making so as to be able to benefit from its activities, for example by enabling the other entity to operate with it as part of an economic entity in pursuing its objectives.


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This will have the effect of excluding from the definitions of a “controlling entity” and “controlled entity” relationships which do not extend beyond, for instance, that of a liquidator and the entity being liquidated, and would normally exclude a lender and borrower relationship. Similarly, a trustee whose relationship with a trust does not extend beyond the normal responsibilities of a trustee would not be considered to control the trust for the purposes of this Standard.

Regulatory and Purchase Power

8. Governments and their agencies have the power to regulate the behavior of many entities by use of their sovereign or legislative powers. Regulatory and purchase powers do not constitute control for the purposes of financial reporting. To ensure that the financial statement of a public sector entity includes only those resources (cash and cash equivalents) that it controls and can benefit from, the meaning of control for the purposes of this Standard does not extend to:

(a) the power of the legislature to establish the regulatory framework within which entities operate and to impose conditions or sanctions on their operations. Such power does not constitute control by a public sector entity of the assets deployed by these entities. For example, a pollution control authority may have the power to close down the operations of entities that are not complying with environmental regulations. However, this power does not constitute control because the pollution control authority only has the power to regulate; or

(b) entities that are economically dependent on a public sector entity. That is, where an entity retains discretion as to whether it will take funding from, or do business with, a public sector entity, that entity has the ultimate power to govern its own financial or operating policies, and accordingly is not controlled by the public sector entity. For example, a government department may be able to influence the financial and operating policies of an entity which is dependent on it for funding (such as a charity) or a profit-orientated entity that is economically dependent on business from it. Accordingly, the government department has some power as a purchaser but not to govern the entity’s financial and operating policies.


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Determining Whether Control Exists for Financial Reporting Purposes

9. Public sector entities may create other entities to achieve some of their objectives. In some cases it may be clear that an entity is controlled, and hence should be consolidated. In other cases it may not be clear. Paragraphs 10 and 11 provide guidance to help determine whether or not control exists for financial reporting purposes.

10. In examining the relationship between two entities, control is presumed to exist when at least one of the following power conditions and one of the following benefit conditions exists, unless there is clear evidence of control being held by another entity.

Power conditions

(a) The entity has, directly or indirectly through controlled entities, ownership of a majority voting interest in the other entity.

(b) The entity has the power, either granted by or exercised within existing legislation, to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the governing body of the other entity.

(c) The entity has the power to cast, or regulate the casting of, a majority of the votes that are likely to be cast at a general meeting of the other entity.

(d) The entity has the power to cast the majority of votes at meetings of the board of directors or equivalent governing body.

Benefit conditions

(a) The entity has the power to dissolve the other entity and obtain a significant level of the residual economic benefits or bear significant obligations. For example the benefit condition may be met if an entity had responsibility for the residual liabilities of another entity.

(b) The entity has the power to extract distributions of assets from the other entity, and/or may be liable for certain obligations of the other entity.


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11. When one or more of the conditions listed in paragraph 10 does not exist, the following factors are likely, either individually or collectively, to be indicative of the existence of control.

Power indicators

(a) The entity has the ability to veto operating and capital budgets of the other entity.

(b) The entity has the ability to veto, overrule, or modify governing body decisions of the other entity.

(c) The entity has the ability to approve the hiring, reassignment and removal of key personnel of the other entity.

(d) The mandate of the other entity is established and limited by legislation.

(e) The entity holds a “golden share”1 (or equivalent) in the other entity that confers rights to govern the financial and operating policies of that other entity.

Benefit indicators

(a) The entity holds direct or indirect title to the net assets/equity of the other entity with an ongoing right to access these.

(b) The entity has a right to a significant level of the net assets/equity of the other entity in the event of a liquidation or in a distribution other than a liquidation.

(c) The entity is able to direct the other entity to co-operate with it in achieving its objectives.

(d) The entity is exposed to the residual liabilities of the other entity.

12. The following diagram indicates the basic steps involved in establishing control of another entity. It should be read in conjunction with paragraphs 1 to 11.

1 “Golden share” refers to a class of share that entitles the holder to specified powers or rights generally exceeding those normally associated with the holder’s ownership interest or representation on the governing body.


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No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Establishing Control of another Entity for Financial Reporting Purposes

13. Sometimes a controlled entity is excluded from consolidation when its activities are dissimilar to those of other entities within the economic entity, for example, the consolidation of GBEs with entities in the budget sector. Exclusion on these grounds is not justified because better information would be provided by consolidating such controlled entities and disclosing additional information in the consolidated financial statement about the different activities of controlled entities.

Does the entity have the power to govern the financial and

operating policies of the other entity?

(Paragraphs 3, 10 and 11)

Is the power to govern the financial and operating policies

presently exercisable? (Paragraphs 3 – 5)

No

No

Entity controls other entity.

Control does not appear to exist.

Does the entity benefit from the activities of the other entity? (Paragraphs 2, 10 and 11)


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Appendix 6 – Financial Reporting of Interests in Joint Ventures Forms of Joint Venture

Joint ventures take many different forms and structures. This Standard identifies three broad types — jointly controlled operations, jointly controlled assets and jointly controlled entities — which are commonly described as, and meet the definition of, joint ventures. The following characteristics are common to all joint ventures:

(a) two or more venturers are bound by an arrangement; and

(b) the arrangement establishes joint control.

Binding Arrangement

The existence of a binding arrangement distinguishes interests which involve joint control from investments in associates where the investor has significant influence. For the purposes of this Standard, an arrangement includes all binding arrangements between venturers. That is, in substance, the arrangement confers similar rights and obligations on the parties to it as if it were in the form of a contract. For instance, two government departments may enter into a binding arrangement to undertake a joint venture but the arrangement may not constitute a legal contract because, in that jurisdiction, individual departments may not be separate legal entities with the power to contract. Activities which have no binding arrangement to establish joint control are not joint ventures for the purposes of this Standard.

The arrangement may be evidenced in a number of ways, for example by a contract between the venturers or minutes of discussions between the venturers. In some cases, the arrangement is incorporated in the enabling legislation, articles or other by-laws of the joint venture. Whatever its form, the arrangement is usually in writing and deals with such matters as:

(a) the activity, duration and reporting obligations of the joint venture;

(b) the appointment of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the joint venture and the voting rights of the venturers;

(c) capital contributions by the venturers; and

(d) the sharing by the venturers of the cash flows of the joint venture.

The arrangement establishes joint control over the joint venture. Such a requirement ensures that no single venturer is in a position to unilaterally control the activity. The arrangement identifies those decisions in areas


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essential to the goals of the joint venture which require the consent of all the venturers and those decisions which may require the consent of a specified majority of the venturers.

The arrangement may identify one venturer as the operator or manager of the joint venture. The operator does not control the joint venture but acts within the financial and operating policies which have been agreed by the venturers in accordance with the arrangement and delegated to the operator. If the operator has the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the activity, it controls the venture and the venture is a controlled entity of the operator and not a joint venture.

Jointly Controlled Operations The operation of some joint ventures involves the use of the asset and other resources of the venturers rather than the establishment of a corporation, partnership or other entity, or a financial structure that is separate from the venturers themselves. Each venturer uses its own property, plant and equipment and carries its own inventories. It also incurs its own expenses and liabilities and raises its own finance, which represent its own obligations. The joint venture activities may be carried out by the venturer’s employees alongside the venturer’s similar activities. The joint venture agreement usually provides a means by which the revenue from the sale or provision of the joint product or service and any expenses incurred in common are shared among the venturers.

An example of a jointly controlled operation is when two or more venturers combine their operations, resources and expertise in order to manufacture, market and distribute jointly a particular product, such as aircraft. Different parts of the manufacturing process are carried out by each of the venturers. Each venturer bears its own costs and takes a share of the revenue from the sale of the aircraft, such share being determined in accordance with the arrangement. A further example is when two entities combine their operations, resources and expertise in order to jointly deliver a service, such as aged care where, in accordance with an agreement, a local government offers domestic services and a local hospital medical care. Each venturer bears its own costs and takes a share of revenue, such as user charges and government grants; such share being determined in accordance with the agreement.


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Jointly Controlled Assets Some joint ventures involve the joint control, and often the joint ownership by the venturers, of one or more assets contributed to, or acquired for the purpose of, the joint venture and dedicated to the purposes of the joint venture. The assets are used to obtain benefits for the venturers. Each venturer may take a share of the output from the asset and each bears an agreed share of the costs incurred.

These joint ventures do not involve the establishment of a corporation, partnership or other entity, or a financial structure that is separate from the venturers themselves. Each venturer has control over its share of future economic benefits or service potential through its share in the jointly controlled asset.

Some activities in the public sector involve jointly controlled assets. For example, a local government may enter into an arrangement with a private sector corporation to construct a toll road. The road provides the citizens with improved access between the local government’s industrial estate and its port facilities. The toll road also provides the private sector corporation with direct access between its manufacturing plant and the port. The agreement between the local authority and the private sector corporation specifies each party’s share of revenues and expenses associated with the toll road. Accordingly, each venturer derives economic benefits or service potential from the jointly controlled asset and bears an agreed proportion of the costs of operating the road. Similarly, many activities in the oil, gas and mineral extraction industries involve jointly controlled assets; for example, a number of oil production companies may jointly control and operate an oil pipeline. Each venturer uses the pipeline to transport its own product in return for which it bears an agreed proportion of the expenses of operating the pipeline. Another example of a jointly controlled asset is when two entities jointly control a property, each taking a share of rents received and bearing a share of the expenses.

Jointly Controlled Entities A jointly controlled entity is a joint venture which involves the establishment of a corporation, partnership or other entity in which each venturer has an interest. The entity operates in the same way as other entities, except that an arrangement between the venturers establishes joint control over the activity of the entity.

A jointly controlled entity controls the assets of the joint venture, incurs liabilities and expenses and earns revenue. It may enter into contracts in


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its own name and raise finance for the purposes of the joint venture activity. Each venturer is entitled to a share of the results of the jointly controlled entity, although some jointly controlled entities also involve a sharing of the output of the joint venture.

A common example of a jointly controlled entity is when two entities combine their activities in a particular line of service delivery by transferring the relevant assets and liabilities into a jointly controlled entity. Another example arises when an entity commences a business in a foreign country in conjunction with a government or other agency in that country, by establishing a separate entity which is jointly controlled by the entity and the government or agency in the foreign country.

Many jointly controlled entities are similar in substance to those joint ventures referred to as jointly controlled operations or jointly controlled assets. For example, the venturers may transfer a jointly controlled asset, such as a road, into a jointly controlled entity, for tax or other reasons. Similarly, the venturers may contribute into a jointly controlled entity, assets which will be operated jointly. Some jointly controlled operations also involve the establishment of a jointly controlled entity to deal with particular aspects of the activity, for example, the design, marketing, distribution or after-sales service of the product.

A jointly controlled entity maintains its own accounting records and prepares and presents its financial statement in the same way as other entities in conformity with the appropriate accounting stans.

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