【ACCA】审计的价值

Thevalueofaudit:viewsfromauditcommitteechairmenContaCtForanyqueriesregardingthecontentofthisreport,pleasecontact:MichelleSeth-LangbeinSeniorManager,Marketing&[e-mail]ive,Marketing&[e-mail]sextremelygratefulforthesupportprovidedbyACRA,particularlyininvitingAuditCommitteeChairmentoparticipate,withoutwhichthissurveywouldnothavebeenpossible.ACRAandACCAthanktherespondentsofthissurveyforprovidingcomprehensiveandcandidinformationandviewsduringtheinterviews.ConfidentialityThissurveywasconductedonaconfidentialbasis.Accordingly,wedonotprovideinformationonindividualsurveyresponses.©TheAssociationofCharteredCertifiedAccountants,July2010AboutACRATheAccountingandCorporateRegulatoryAuthority(ACRA)isthenationalregulatorofbusinessentitiesandpublicaccountantsinSingapore.ACRAalsoplaystheroleofafacilitatorforthedevelopmentofbusinessentitiesandthepublicaccountancyprofession.ThemissionofACRAistoprovidearesponsiveandtrustedregulatoryenvironmentforbusinessesandpublicaccountants.ACRA’sroleistoachievesynergiesbetweenthemonitoringofcorporatecompliancewithdisclosurerequirementsandregulationofpublicaccountantsperformingstatutoryaudit.AboutACCAACCA(theAssociationofCharteredCertifiedAccountants)istheglobalbodyforprofessionalaccountants.Weaimtoofferbusiness-relevant,first-choicequalificationstopeopleofapplication,abilityandambitionaroundtheworldwhoseekarewardingcareerinaccountancy,financeandmanagement.Wesupportour140,000membersand404,000studentsthroughouttheircareers,providingservicesthroughanetworkof83officesandcentres.Ourglobalinfrastructuremeansthatexamsandsupportaredelivered–andreputationandinfluencedeveloped–atalocallevel,directlybenefitingstakeholderswherevertheyarebased,orplantomoveto,inpursuitofnewcareeropportunities.Background1keyfindings2termsofReference3issues4-8Conclusion9ContentPuRPoseofsuRveyACCAfirmlybelievesinthevaluethatauditbringstobusinessandthewidereconomybyinstillingtrustandconfidenceincompanies’financialstatements.Wealsobelievethatitengenderswider‘intangible’benefitsintermsofimposingdisciplineoncompanies,deterringfraudandgivingcomforttootherstakeholdersthatbusinessesaregoingconcerns.Butwealsobelievethattheprofessionneedstodomoretopromotethatvalue–particularlyatatimeofeconomicuncertainty.Despitesomenotablerecentstudiesinthisarea,therehashistoricallybeenaverylimitedbodyofpublishedresearchonthevalueoffinancialstatements’auditstoinvestorsandotherstakeholders.ACCAiskeentoplayitspartinprovidingevidence-basedassessmentwhichwillcontributetothedebateonthefutureofaudit.ACCAhasthereforeundertakenaseriesofinternationalresearchprojectsthatexaminestheroleofaudit,currentlevelsofstakeholdersatisfactionandtheextenttowhichusersoffinancialstatementsstillrelyontheassuranceconveyedbyauditreportswhenmakingdecisions.ACCA,initsrecentpolicypaperRestatingtheValueofAudit1hasconsideredthedistinctauditingissuesrelatingtobothlargerandsmallerbusinesses.Thisreportisintendedasacontributiontopublishedresearchonthevalueofaudit.ACRA,asthenationalregulatorofbusinessentitiesandpublicaccountants,hasaninterestinissuesrelatingtothequalityandvalueofexternalauditsandinraisingthequalityofaudit.Thereisnodoubtthatthevalueofauditisintimatelyconnectedwithitsquality.Ifthequalityofanauditiscompromiseditsvalueiscorrespondinglydiminished.Itisalmostself-evidentthatahigherqualityservicewouldgeneratemorevaluetoaconsumerofthatservice.Toensurehighquality,however,sufficientresourcesmustbedirectedtotheauditbythefirm.Inthedebateoverthevalueofaudit,theroleoftheauditcommitteehasassumedgreatimportanceinternationally.TheUK’sbusinessregulatortheFinancialReportingCouncilhaspublishedseveralextensiveguidancenotesinthelasttwoyears:firstlyontheformationandroleofAuditCommitteesandthenonadvicefortheAuditCommitteesonissuessuchasgoingconcernandtheeconomicdownturn.OthercountriesinEuropearealsonowintroducingmandatoryauditcommitteesforlistedcompanies.Andarecentstudy2byMaastrichtUniversityonthevalueofauditwasbasedontheviewsofAuditCommitteemembersandCFOsintheNetherlands,Germany,France,BelgiumandtheUK.Singaporeisalsouptospeedondevelopmentsinthisarea.ThehighlevelAuditCommitteeGuidanceCommittee(ACGC)wasestablishedbytheMonetaryAuthorityofSingapore(MAS),ACRAandtheSingaporeExchangeLtd(SGX)inJanuary2008.Guidance3issuedbytheACGCexplainedthesignificantresponsibilitiesandworkinvolved:‘Auditcommitteesplayanimportantroleinthegovernanceandoversightofcompanies.Theyarecentraltoestablishinggoodinternalcontrolsand,asappropriate,riskmanagementsystemsaswellasdeliveringqualityfinancialreportingandinstitutingstrongprocessesfortheproperreviewofinterestedpersontransactions.Thegrowingcomplexitiesofthebusinessenvironmentimposeevengreaterdemandsonauditcommittees.’AlltheACChairmenwehadinterviewedforthisresearchreportrecognisedtheseriousnessofthegovernanceresponsibilitiestheyundertake.In2009,ACRAcommissionedtheSingaporeManagementUniversitytocarryoutASurveyonthe