2007年-世界发展银行全球_Nepal___Public_Sector_Accounting_and_Auditing_A_Comparison_to_International_Standards_93页_1mb

报告摘要

Summary of Nepal's Public Sector Accounting and Auditing Practices Compared to International Standards

Core Content

This report provides an assessment of the current state of public sector accounting and auditing in Nepal, comparing it with international standards. The goal is to improve public financial management (PFM) by promoting better accounting and audit practices aligned with global norms.

Main Objectives

To provide a common understanding of where Nepal's local practices stand in relation to international standards.
To identify current variances between local practices and international standards.
To outline pathways for reducing these variances.
To establish a framework for continuous improvement in public sector accounting and auditing.

Key Findings and Recommendations

Public Sector Accounting

Current Status: Nepal's public sector accounting is based on the cash basis, which is not in line with the Cash Basis IPSAS.
Standards: The study recommends the adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and the alignment of national accounting standards with these international standards.
Recommendations:
- Amend the finance legislation to make the adoption of IPSAS mandatory.
- Empower the Accounting Standards Board to set IPSAS-based accounting standards.
- Develop a long-term strategy for human resources development in the accounting sector.
- Prepare and implement National Public Sector Accounting Standards based on IPSAS.
- Improve the training and recruitment processes for accounting staff to ensure they meet international standards.

Public Sector Auditing

Current Status: The audit framework is partially aligned with international standards, but there are significant gaps in implementation and training.
Standards: The report recommends the adoption of International Standards on Auditing (ISA) and the alignment of national audit standards with these international standards.
Recommendations:
- Update the Audit Act to authorize the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to conduct specialized audits.
- Ensure that audit processes meet international standards in terms of planning, supervision, and internal control evaluation.
- Provide more comprehensive training for auditors, especially in forensic audit and audit technology.
- Establish an independent Audit Committee within state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for monitoring compliance with reporting standards.
- Strengthen the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) by modernizing its functions and incorporating best practices.

Gaps and Improvements

Standard	Current Status	Activity Required to Adopt International Standards
1. Does the Public Sector Accounting Law adopt IPSAS?	No	A statement of cash receipt and payment as per the Cash Basis IPSAS can be prepared using existing information. Some technical assistance will be needed.
2. Does the education and training of accountants accord with IES?	Not fully	Accounting staff recruitment should require special arrangements rather than the standard general entry. For the existing cadre of accounts staff, appropriate training should be designed and provided.
3. Does the Code of Ethics match international standards?	No	A code of conduct for accountants based on IFAC or ICAN codes is needed and should be incorporated in relevant laws.
4. Is there a body to prescribe public sector accounting standards?	No	The Accounting Standards Board should be empowered through appropriate legal instruments to develop public sector accounting standards.
5. Are the financial statements in accordance with international standards?	No	The Government of Nepal should develop a medium-term plan to move toward improving the existing cash-based system to Cash Basis IPSAS with additional voluntary disclosures.
6. Is the statement of Cash Receipts and Payments in IPSAS form?	No	The Government could form a core team for a study visit to Sri Lanka and apply possible changes in the existing accounting system.
7. Are accounting policies and explanatory notes required?	No	These should be introduced to improve transparency and accountability.
8. Are other disclosures in accord with IPSAS?	No	Additional disclosures are needed to meet international standards.
9. Does the government issue a consolidated financial statement which consolidates all controlled entities?	No	This should be reviewed only after the general budget sector has been reported according to Cash Basis IPSAS.

Auditing Issues

Standard	Current Status	Activity Required to Adopt International Standards
1. Is the SAI statutory framework in accordance with the needs of the INTOSAI Auditing Standards?	Broadly yes, but some deficiencies need to be corrected	These deficiencies need to be addressed either through issuance of directives by the Auditor General or by amendment of the Audit Act.
2. Is there a body to prescribe public sector auditing standards?	The Auditor General does this	The Nepal Auditing Standards Board should be empowered to set public sector auditing standards as per ISA and in keeping with the requirements of OAG.
3. Have INTOSAI and IFAC audit standards been adopted?	INTOSAI Auditing Standards have been adopted	The plan needs to be developed to gradually adopt the ISA standards.
4. Has a code of ethics equivalent to the INTOSAI standards been adopted?	Yes	Since the existing code of conduct is too rigid and unrealistic in implementation, this may deserve review.
5. Is the audit process in the SAI in accord with INTOSAI Auditing Standards?	Yes	No specific activity required.
6. Does the SAI legal framework meet the INTOSAI standards for independence and powers?	Broadly	The Audit Act needs to be amended to provide for, inter alia, more involvement of the legislature.
7. Does the education and training of auditors accord with INTOSAI and IES standards?	Broadly, but there is room for improvement	Recruitment and continuing professional education processes should be revised.
8. Is the SAI equipped with the audit methods and technologies to meet the INTOSAI Auditing Standards?	Broadly	Computer-assisted audit technology and other technological audit techniques need to be applied within OAG for conducting audits of entities with computer-based accounting systems.
9. Does the SAI have the quality assurance programs to meet international standards?	Yes	Implementation needs improvement.
10. Does the process to plan the audits meet international standards?	Partially	The new methodologies recently developed need to be implemented through a training program.
11. Does the process to supervise the audits meet international standards?	Partially	No specific activity required.
12. Does the process to evaluate the reliability of internal control meet international standards?	Partially	No specific activity required.
13. Does the audit process used to assess compliance with laws meet international standards?	Broadly	No specific activity required.
14. Does the audit process used to obtain evidence to support conclusions meet international standards?	Broadly	No specific activity required.
15. Does the audit analyze the financial statements to establish whether acceptable accounting standards for financial reporting and disclosure are complied with?	Partially	Audit opinions need to be more specific in accordance with INTOSAI standards.
16. Does the audit process provide a separate opinion on the consolidated financial statements?	No	A separate audit opinion should be provided to the consolidated financial statements.

Conclusion

The report highlights the need for Nepal to align its public sector accounting and auditing practices with international standards, particularly IPSAS and ISA. This includes legal reforms, enhanced training programs, improved internal control systems, and stronger institutional frameworks. The implementation of these standards will support better financial reporting, transparency, and accountability in the public sector, ultimately contributing to more effective public financial management and social and economic development.

展开完整摘要