A thought leadership issue Governments across the world have reacted to the credit crisis by committing to large scale economic stimulus packages, which include bringing forward infrastructure projects, making tax cuts, providing liquidity to key industrial sectors, guaranteeing bank loans, purchasing assets, injecting capital and, in some cases, nationalising banks or insurance companies. Stimulus packages…
As an investor in the equity markets, it is natural to feel elation at rising share prices. We all feel wealthier – at least on paper. As fund managers, we understand that prices fluctuate far more widely than values. Rather than despairing over falling prices, we fund mangers see them as long-term buying opportunities. The…
As the public sector begins the implementation of its conversion to Generally Recognised Accounting Practice (GRAP) for government, an examination of how this will assist in effective service delivery is necessary. The fundamental question is whether or not this exercise will provide benefits for the South African public – or if it will simply cost…
There is no doubt that the world we knew before the global economic meltdown will not return. The causes of the meltdown will not disappear, and lurking behind them is another set of even more fundamental issues facing humanity. The often quoted Chinese curse – ‘may you live in interesting times’ has never been more…
Ever since the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in South Africa in 2005, and even more so with the impending adoption of Generally Recognised Accounting Practice (GRAP) in the public sector, many entities in both the private and the public sectors have been finding the need to reconstruct their fixed asset registers. This…
Given recent developments in corporate governance and internal control, organisations are required to provide more and more information about their own internal controls environment to a variety of external and internal stakeholders. In addition, the current regulatory environment presents new challenges, specifically with regard to the internal control reporting requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley, Basel II, the…
Business leaders, including directors of companies and managers, are often confronted with the request to complete a questionnaire or survey. These may vary from being part of very relevant research to being a mere gathering of useless information. Given that we live in an era of electronic communication and e-mail, this has increased dramatically over…
In the longstanding lecturers’ tradition of using imagined names that only the lecturer thinks are funny, I recently asked my students why it is wrong for Mr Tickenbash CA(SA) to provide assurance services to a company where he is a non-executive director. In the longstanding students’ tradition of giving an answer that only the student…
Die landbou ervaar goeie tye, met inkomstes wat 50% gestyg het in 2008 en goeie oeste wat oor die komende jaar wag. So ook die konstruksiebedryf soos die land sy infrastruktuur probeer verbeter na jare van erg verwaarlosing en toenemende tekorte. Daar is ook ander sektore in die ekonomie wat selfs buitengewoon goed doen. Werksgeleentheid…
The Mitsubishi Pajero is well-known for winning the Paris Dakar rally, but how does this vehicle measure up in the real world, i.e. Gauteng traffic (aaargh!), or long trips with the kids? After a week of testing, I can honestly say that this vehicle is actually very capable, as long as you can get used…