Jan van Schalkwyk is an executive at the Auditor-General South Africa, supporting Auditor-General Maluleke in local and international work. He started his career at Deloitte, but then decided to change track and continue his career in public sector auditing, with a focus on capacity development. This led to his involvement in INTOSAI (the global body of auditors-general), where he has been involved in the development of INTOSAI-P 12 (a standards that has, over time, become the golden standard for capacity development) and, more recently, led a task-force on INTOSAI auditor professionalisation (TFIAP).

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board^® (IPSASB^®) welcomes the IFRS Foundation Trustees announcement of the formation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), together with the publication of the prototype climate and general disclosure requirements developed by the Technical Readiness Working Group (TRWG).

“Climate change is an issue that is increasingly important to us all. Urgent public sector action will be critical to successfully addressing climate change, through the combination of its central roles as policy setter, regulator, funder and in service delivery. Strong governance, effective implementation, and accountability for the use of public sector resources will all be essential if governments are to play their parts in addressing climate change and sustainability more broadly,” said Ian Carruthers, IPSASB Chair.

“The guidance from the new ISSB will provide important tools for both effective decision making and strong reporting on sustainability issues globally. While having an investor focus, with suitable interpretation it has the potential to provide a basis for some of the guidance that jurisdictions will require for tracking their progress in reaching their climate change targets and other key sustainability initiatives such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The IPSASB looks forward to working closely with the ISSB as exploration starts of public sector sustainability reporting guidance needs following COP26.”

Sustainability is a focus area of the IPSASB. Learn about the IPSASB’s thinking related to sustainability and its existing guidance.

About the IPSASB

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) works to strengthen public financial management globally through developing and maintaining accrual-based International Public Sector Accounting Standards® (IPSAS®) and other high-quality financial reporting guidance for use by governments and other public sector entities. It also raises awareness of IPSAS and the benefits of accrual adoption. The Board receives support from the Asian Development Bank, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, the New Zealand External Reporting Board, and the governments of Canada and New Zealand. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IPSASB are facilitated by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please go to permissions or contact permissions@ifac.org.

Sustainability is not just about the environment. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), defines sustainability as “a commitment to eradicate poverty and achieve a sustainable world by 2030 and beyond, with human well-being and a healthy planet at its core.” Sustainable development is a core principle of the Treaty on European Union and a priority objective for the Union’s internal and external policies.

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board^® (IPSASB^®) has issued Amendments to IPSAS 5, Borrowing Costs – Non-Authoritative Guidance.

The new pronouncement adds implementation guidance and illustrative examples to IPSAS 5. The new material illustrates how the existing principles for when borrowing costs can be capitalized should be applied in various regularly encountered public sector contexts. No amendments are proposed to the authoritative material in IPSAS 5, and the existing option to expense or capitalize borrowing costs is retained.

“We undertook this project to illustrate how to apply existing principles in IPSAS 5 to scenarios that are unique to the public sector,” said IPSASB Chair Ian Carruthers. “This new guidance should support our constituents in applying the existing standard to the practical challenges they have identified in determining which borrowing costs can be capitalized and when.”

This illustrative guidance addresses public sector specific issues by focusing on transactions associated with capitalizing borrowing costs when funds are borrowed by a related entity or centralized lending program. The additional guidance facilitates the preparation of financial reporting information that is relevant, faithfully representative, and comparable for these important public sector transactions. 

About the IPSASB

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) works to strengthen public financial management globally through developing and maintaining accrual-based International Public Sector Accounting Standards® (IPSAS®) and other high-quality financial reporting guidance for use by governments and other public sector entities. It also raises awareness of IPSAS and the benefits of accrual adoption. The Board receives support from the Asian Development Bank, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, the New Zealand External Reporting Board, and the governments of Canada and New Zealand. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IPSASB are facilitated by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please go to permissions or contact permissions@ifac.org.

About the Public Interest Committee

The governance and standard-setting activities of the IPSASB are overseen by the Public Interest Committee (PIC), to ensure that they follow due process and reflect the public interest. The PIC is comprised of individuals with expertise in public sector or financial reporting, and professional engagement in organizations that have an interest in promoting high-quality and internationally comparable financial information.

IAASB has issued a draft proposal for a new auditing standard for less complex entities (LCEs). While based on the concepts and principles of the International Standards of Auditing (ISAs), it would follow a simplified, risk-based approach. Join Tom Seidenstein, IAASB Chair, as he discusses the proposals, including their background and development at this ICAEW event.

As the world emerges from the pandemic, who will be trusted to support business recovery and to build the sustainable, resilient economies we need?

Chartered Accountants Worldwide have partnered with Edelman research to understand the views of over 1,000 international business leaders and the role that they expect the finance and business profession to play in shaping the future.