Global financial reporting agenda set to change - how will South African companies be impacted?

Through this third agenda consultation, companies, auditors, regulators, and users of financial statements are provided the opportunity to drive the global financial reporting agenda. Consequently, this could improve financial reporting by companies.

This process is important to South Africa because the Companies Act 71 of 2008 requires some companies to apply the global financial reporting standards, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Furthermore, the consultation process enables all the role players in the financial reporting ecosystem to influence the strategic direction and balance of the IASB’s activities, criteria that will be applied to assess which projects should be prioritised and advise the IASB as to which projects should be taken onto the global financial reporting agenda.

Current standard-setting activities entail the following: development of new IFRS standards, maintenance and major amendments to IFRS Standards; maintaining IFRS Standards and supporting their consistent application; developing and maintaining the International Financial Reporting Standards for Small and Medium-sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs); supporting digital financial reporting by developing and maintaining the IFRS Taxonomy; improving the understandability and accessibility of the Standards; and engaging with stakeholders. The global standard-setter is seeking views to determine how its resources should be allocated among the different activities.

Initial outreach activities conducted prior to the commencement of this agenda consultation identified a myriad of potential financial reporting projects that could be added onto global financial reporting agenda. These potential projects will either serve to address gaps that exist within IFRS Standards or enhance the reporting requirements. No doubt that, much like the major overhaul of the revenue, leases and financial instruments Standards which culminated from the second agenda consultation and which significantly impacted many companies in South Africa, some major projects taken onto the future agenda may have a similar effect on companies locally.

Projects which have been put forward thus far for consideration include accounting for cryptocurrencies, accounting for inventory, going concern disclosures and the accounting basis to apply when entity is no longer a concern, accounting for income taxes, accounting for internally generated intangible assets such as brands, and the statement of cash flows and its relevance for companies such as financial institutions.

Companies, auditors, regulators, and users of financial statements have until 27 September 2021 to provide input that will drive the financial reporting agenda for the five years commencing from 2022.

More information on the third agenda consultation can be obtained from the IFRS Foundation website.

The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), South Africa’s pre-eminent accountancy body, is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading accounting institutes. The Institute provides a wide range of support services to more than 50 000 members and associates who are chartered accountants (CAs[SA]), as well as associate general accountants (AGAs[SA]) and accounting technicians (ATs[SA]), who hold positions as CEOs, MDs, board directors, business owners, chief financial officers, auditors and leaders in every sphere of commerce and industry, and who play a significant role in the nation’s highly dynamic business sector and economic development.

Chartered Accountants are highly valued for their versatile skill set and creative lateral thinking, that's why all of the top 100 Global Brands employ Chartered Accountants.

Kulani Chauke
Project Manager: Corporate Communications
SAICA Brand Division
011 479 0698 / 071 266 0019
***@saica.co.za