Tag: Code of Professional Conduct

Since 2017, the auditing profession has been plagued by high-profile corporate failures that have implicated auditors. As a result of state capture revelations, share price collapses, and corruption allegations, the South African public continues to question how audit can be relied upon to protect its investments.

In October 2020, we focused on ethics and delivered a series of webinars to discuss the ethical challenges currently facing the chartered accountancy and auditing professions and come up with solutions to these challenges. During a particular focus on ethics in the public sector, I shared that the professional body has noted an increase in the number of member complaints about intimidation threats.

We have noted with concern the Auditor General’s report of the audit outcomes for local government, which showed that only 8% of municipalities received clean audits for the 2018/19 financial year, despite R1.26 billion being spent on financial reporting consultants.

Future shifts in demands and activities are unavoidable for all professions. The future of the accounting profession as one that remains relevant and vital to the prosperity of the societies in which it operates, depends on its ability to focus on what is required to sustain its relevance in an evolving, changing, and technologically-dominated future.

The Independent Inquiry has been convened by the South African Institute for Chartered Accountants (SAICA) after receipt of allegations that some of its members...