Look at the history of any business and you will see organisations beset by challenges, which at particular points in time, demand extraordinary focus and attention. In the early 1990’s, ‘diversity’ was the one such focus area that took centre stage. At the turn of the century we were busy with ‘innovation’ and, as we…
A Chief Financial Officer’s response Gobble-lisation is defined as “when billions of dollars of retirement savings are gobbled-up and destroyed due to the combined effect of globalisation and a couple of turkeys at some banks that decided to sell cheap credit mortgages”. OK, I may have made up this word, but I thought that the…
The financial and auditing skills exodus Plugging the ‘brain drain’ in the Financial and Auditing sector will be no mean feat as the SAICA commissioned research reveals. Pressure comes from different sources that impact negatively on the number of skilled professionals and workers in the sector; unacceptably low output of capable learners from school level,…
In August 2008, the United States (US) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) unanimously approved a proposed roadmap for conversion to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). The roadmap’s first step is to allow for the early adoption of IFRSs by 110 of the largest publicly held companies in the US; companies that represent 14% of the…
The Revenue Laws Amendment Bill, 2008 (the Bill) introduced an amendment to the Income tax Act No.58 of 1962 (the Act) in respect of the taxation of pre-retirement withdrawals from retirement funds (SARS, 2008:4). Pre-retirement withdrawal benefits are payable to fund members when they exit the fund prior to retirement or involve payments before termination…
Walking down George Street in the CBD of Sydney, Australia and hearing the variety of accents engulfing me I asked myself the question; ‘Am I proud to be a South African?’. Do I hold my head high ready to debate the current political turmoil or the perceived pessimistic outlook with anyone who dares question my…
The number of recent claims against audit firms, some of them running into billions of Rands, for alleged ‘audit failures’, is a stark reminder of the problems facing the auditing profession in the absence of some protection offered by an equitable apportionment of liability regime. This constant threat of seeking to be held liable as…
Dit is waar dat die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie in 2008 gegroei het. Maar dit is ongeveer die enigste brokkie goeie nuus wat ’n mens aan kan dink. Onmiddellike vooruitsigte is nag. Die verbruiker het gedurende 2H2008 in resessie inbeweeg soos verbruiksbesteding begin daal het, gelei deur swak duursame verbruiksbesteding, veral motors, behuising, meubels en huishoudelike toebehore.…
It was the gifted Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw who said that the reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man adapts the world to himself. All progress depends upon the unreasonable man. At first sight Shaw’s aphorism seems outrageous but, on careful reflection, there is much truth in what he said. Shaw…
When I was offered a Forester to test drive I braced myself for the boxy car, but when I laid my eyes on the new Forester I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. The new Forester is said to be taller, wider and sleeker than its predecessor and that it certainly is. The…