Expertise and innovation to drive success

Transcription

1 Expertise and innovation to drive success April 2017 kpmg.com.mt

2 3 Introducing the Transparency Report This Transparency report contains information that is in accordance with the terms of the disclosure requirements of Section 18 of the Accountancy Profession Act (CAP, 281) relevant to audit firms which carry out statutory audits of public interest entities. This report provides information as to how we are organised, managed and how we ensure quality across all our service lines with a particular focus on audit. At KPMG, we are passionate about audit quality and continuous improvement, and we work together to show our commitment in providing independent assurance on what matters to stakeholders. We drive a persistent focus on quality and service excellence and aspire to be the standard of trust in our profession. We aim to compete on quality by making clients and regulators aware of our continuing assurance to enhance audit quality to meet both international and local professional and ethical standards. As part of our commitment to stakeholders, we aim to be transparent and open in communicating how we address audit quality. In so doing, we help to foster public trust and inspire confidence in KPMG and in the capital markets. Audit quality relies on our culture of integrity and on employing extraordinary people, supported by our methodologies and processes. We are committed to working closely with regulators, audit committees, investors and businesses to meet expectations of audit quality. The starting point for the business is the professionalism and integrity of our people. Our leadership strives to promote a culture where quality is everyone s job. Our methodologies and processes, to which we refer in this document, similarly reflect the drive for quality. The information in this report reflects the position as at 31 March 2017, unless it is stated otherwise. We invite you to read our Annual Review and to browse our web-site for further information relating to other aspects of our firm. We trust that you will find this report useful and that it provides insight into how we manage our firm and uphold the principles of quality and good corporate governance. We hope that this report gives the opportunity for feedback from our stakeholders and we would very much welcome your views as to how we can continue to improve the quality of the information presented herein in future years. David Caruana Compliance Principal 31 March 2017 Hilary Galea-Lauri Head of Audit Technical & Quality Matters

3 1 Our Structure & Governance Legal structure 1.2 Name, ownership and legal relationships KPMG in Malta is a professional services firm that delivers Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG in Malta is affiliated with KPMG International, Cooperative ( KPMG International ). KPMG International is a Swiss cooperative which is a legal entity formed under Swiss law. It is the entity with which all the member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated. Further details about KPMG International and its business, including our relationship with it, are available in the supplement to the KPMG International Transparency Report. KPMG International is a global network of professional As at 31 December 2016 KPMG in Malta had two services firms providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory wholly-owned subsidiaries, namely KPMG Holding services to a wide variety of public and private sector Limited and KPMG Advisory Services Limited. Most organisations. KPMG International s structure is services, including all audit services, are provided by designed to support consistency of service quality and KPMG. KPMG Holding Limited acts as the paymaster adherence to agreed values wherever the member for the practice whilst KPMG Advisory Services Limited firms operate. is licensed to provide recruitment services under the Employment and Training Services Act. KPMG in Malta is a civil partnership constituted under the laws of Malta and is registered as an audit firm with KPMG and its subsidiary undertakings in Malta are the Accountancy Board in terms of the Accountancy collectively referred to as KPMG in this report, unless Profession Act (CAP. 281). The Compliance Principal in the context clearly indicates otherwise. The contents of terms of the Accountancy Profession Act (CAP. 281) is this report apply to the whole KPMG practice in Malta David Caruana. KPMG in Malta operates from Portico including that of its subsidiary undertakings. Building, Marina Street, Pietà PTA 9044, Malta. There were 14 partners in KPMG in Malta as at 31 KPMG in Malta is wholly owned, and its voting December rights are fully held by its partners all of whom are professionals actively involved in the provision of audit, tax and advisory services to the firm s clients. KPMG is the registered trademark of KPMG International and is the name by which the member firms are commonly known. The rights of member firms to use the KPMG name and marks are contained within agreements with KPMG International. Member firms are generally locally owned and Member firms may consist of more than one separate managed. Each member firm is responsible for its own legal entity. If this is the case, each separate legal entity obligations and liabilities. KPMG International and other will be responsible only for its own obligations and member firms are not responsible for a member firm s liabilities, unless it has expressly agreed otherwise. obligations or liabilities. 1.3 Responsibilities and obligations of member firms Under agreements with KPMG International, member firms are required to comply with KPMG International s policies and regulations including quality standards governing how they operate and how they provide services to clients to compete effectively. This includes having a firm structure that ensures continuity and stability and being able to adopt global strategies, share resources (incoming and outgoing), service multinational clients, manage risk, and deploy global methodologies and tools. Each member firm takes responsibility for its such amounts is approved by the Global Board and management and the quality of its work. consistently applied to the member firms. A firm s status as a KPMG member firm and its participation Member firms commit to a common set in the KPMG network may be terminated if, among of KPMG values. other things, it has not complied with the policies and regulations set by KPMG International or any of its KPMG International s activities are funded by amounts other obligations owed to KPMG International. paid by member firms. The basis for calculating

4 1 Our Structure & Governance / Continued Governance Structure Partnership Board KPMG s governance structure as at the date of this report and as reflected in the Partnership Agreement is summarised in the figure below. Governance Structure Partnership Board The key governance and management body of KPMG in Malta is the Partnership Board which is made up of all the partners of KPMG in Malta. All the voting rights of the firm are held by the partners. The Partnership Board is responsible, amongst others, for setting the policies, direction and strategy of the firm as well as the appointment of partners and staff to carry out the managerial roles within the firm s governance structure. 11 partners meetings were held during Executive Management Committee Executive Management Committee Chair: Senior Partner (& Head of Advisory) Members: Head of Audit Operations Head of Audit Technical & quality matters Head of Tax Quality & Risk Partner Head of Markets Head of Finance HR Partner EMC Sub-Committees Quality and Risk Management Committee Chair: Quality & Risk Partner (Compliance Principal) Members: Senior Partner Head of Audit Technical & quality matters Tax Partner Director Finance Director IT services Compliance Executive (Committee secretary) The Executive Management Committee (EMC) is financial reporting and control, including working responsible for formulating concrete proposals for the capital management on a day-to-day basis as well as consideration of the partners meeting on a variety co-ordinating the performance of the firm on a crossfunctional basis. The EMC, which is chaired by the of issues including the firm s vision and strategy, financial management, and human resources strategies firm s senior partner, met 34 times during and policies. It is also responsible for co-ordinating The Quality and Risk Management Committee The principle role of the Quality and Risk Management relating to professional risk management, ethics Committee is to provide oversight of quality and and independence, quality control and compliance. risk management matters across the group. As part The Committee also considers the impact of the of its role it oversees that a culture of quality and key findings from our compliance quality monitoring integrity is maintained within the group and, where programmes and the adequacy of proposed remedial required, it will act as a sounding board to the Risk actions. The Quality & Risk Management Committee Management Partner on the policies and procedures met 3 times in HR Committee Chair: HR Partner Business Development Committee Chair: Senior Partner Audit Committee Co-chair: Heads of Audit Members: Audit partners & directors Tax Committee Chair: Head of Tax Members: Tax partners & directors Advisory Committee Chair: Head of Advisory Members: Advisory partners & directors Functional partners committees The partners and directors working within each of the firm s three functions form part of a partners committee for that function, chaired by the respective head of function. The objective of these committees is to ensure the effective management of each respective function within the firm.

5 2 System of quality control 9 Overview A robust and consistent system of quality control is an essential requirement in performing high quality services. Accordingly, KPMG International has quality control policies that apply to all member firms. These are included in KPMG s Global Quality and Risk Management Manual (Global Q&RM Manual) available to all personnel. These policies and associated procedures are designed to guide member firms in complying with relevant professional standards, regulatory and legal requirements, and in issuing reports that are appropriate in the circumstances. These policies and procedures are based on the International Standard on Quality Control (ISQC 1) issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), and on the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants issued by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). Both of these are relevant to firms that perform statutory audits and other assurance and related services engagements. Our firm implements KPMG International policies and procedures. ISQC1 is mandated on us by local regulations. Though many of its provisions are, strictly speaking, only required to our audit practice, we have adopted its principles across all functions of our practice. To help ensure quality control, our operating model encompassing each of the key areas from ISQC1, is depicted on the opposite page. practice that are designed to meet or exceed the expectations of audit committees (our clients) as well as the rules and standards issued by the Accountancy Board and other regulators. KPMG International s policies reflect individual quality control elements to help our personnel act with integrity and objectivity, perform their work with diligence, and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards. Amendments to risk and quality policies, including ethics and independence policies, are communicated by alerts from KPMG International and included in quality and risk communications. KPMG in Malta is required to implement changes specified in the alerts and this is checked through internal monitoring. Quality control and risk management are the responsibility of all KPMG personnel. This responsibility includes the need to understand and adhere to firm policies and associated procedures in carrying out their day-to-day activities. The system of quality control applies to KPMG personnel. While many KPMG s quality control processes are cross-functional, and apply equally to tax and advisory work, the remainder of this section focuses on the delivery of quality audits. Culture Values Code of Conduct Core engagement process Client acceptance and continuance Audit Tax Advisory Support process Risk Management Engagement acceptance Integrated quality and risk management > Banking > Insurance > Investment services > Communications & media > Manufacturing > Hospitality Quality Compliance Monitoring IT HR Integrated quality and risk management Monitoring Engagement performance > Transportation & business services > Public sector > Property & infrastructure > Technology > Utilities > Private equity Knowledge Management Engagement delivery In addition to the standards required by ISQC1, we maintain systems of quality control for our audit

6 11 Audit Quality Framework 2.1 Tone at the top At KPMG, audit quality is not just about reaching the right opinion, but how that opinion is reached. It is about the processes, thought and integrity behind the audit report. We view the outcome of a quality audit as the delivery of an appropriate and independent opinion in compliance with the auditing standards. This means, above all, being independent and compliant with relevant legal and professional requirements. The culture of KPMG International and the member firms is underpinned by a strong set of values and supporting policies and processes that enable the right attitudes and behaviours to permeate throughout the KPMG network, starting from the very top. We promote a culture in which consultation is encouraged and recognized as a strength. To help all audit professionals concentrate on the fundamental skills and behaviours required to deliver an appropriate and independent opinion, KPMG International utilises the Audit Quality Framework. This framework uses a common language that is used by all KPMG member firms to describe what we believe drives audit quality, and to highlight how every audit professional at KPMG contributes to the delivery of audit quality. Our Audit Quality Framework identifies seven drivers of audit quality: > Tone at the top > Association with the right clients > Clear standards and robust audit tools > Recruitment, development and assignment of appropriately qualified personnel > Commitment to technical excellence and quality service delivery > Performance of effective and efficient audits > Commitment to continuous improvement. Tone at the top sits at the core of the Audit Quality Framework s seven drivers of audit quality and helps ensure that the right behaviors permeate across the entire KPMG network. All of the other drivers are presented within a virtuous circle because each driver is intended to reinforce the others. Each of the seven key drivers is described in more detail in the following sections of this report. Tone at the top means that KPMG s leadership demonstrates quality, ethics and integrity and communicates its commitment to clients, stakeholders and society at large. Integrity is a critical characteristic that stakeholders expect and rely on. It is also the key KPMG Value: Above all, we act with integrity. Integrity means constantly striving to uphold the highest professional standards, providing sound good-quality advice to our clients and rigorously maintaining independence. Our Values, which have been explicitly codified for a number of years, are embedded into working practices and values-based compliance culture at KPMG in Malta. Individuals are encouraged to raise their concerns when they see behaviours or actions that are inconsistent with our values or professional responsibilities. Our Values are considered in the performance appraisal process that our people follow and adherence to these Values is also reviewed when our people are considered for more senior promotions, including to Partner. Setting the right tone is a key responsibility of our senior leadership team. The Senior Partner and all members of the leadership team are committed to building a culture based on quality and ethics. This is fundamental to the work we perform and the maintenance of our reputation. We lead by example At all levels we act in a way that exemplifies what we expect of each other and our clients We work together We bring out the best in each other and create strong and successful working relationships Commitment to continuous improvement Association with the right clients We respect the individual We respect people for who they are and for their knowledge, skills and experience as individuals and team members Performance of effective and efficient audits Tone at the top Clear standards and robust audit tools We seek the facts and provide insight We are open and honest in our communication By challenging assumptions and pursuing facts, we strengthen our reputation as trusted and objective business advisers We share information, insight and advice frequently and constructively and manage tough situations with courage and candour Commitment to technical excellence and quality service delivery Recruitment, development & assignment of appropriately qualified personnel We are committed to our communities We act as responsible corporate citizens by broadening our skills, experience and perspectives through work in our communities and protecting the environment Above all, we act with integrity We constantly strive to uphold the highest professional standards, provide sound advice and rigorously maintain our independence

7 13 Code of conduct KPMG International s Code of Conduct incorporates our Values and defines the standards of ethical conduct that is required from all KPMG people. It sets out our ethical principles and helps partners Whistle-blowing and employees at KPMG in Malta to understand Our policies provide that, anyone who has concerns and uphold those principles. In addition, the Code of about how others are behaving (either internally or Conduct emphasizes that each partner and employee externally) is required to raise the issue with their line is personally responsible for following the legal, manager or any partner. Anyone, at any time, is entitled professional, and ethical standards that apply to his to contact our Ethics and Independence Partner, David or her job function and level of responsibility. It has Caruana, with the assurance that their concern will provisions that require our people to: be dealt with in confidence. We recognise that some people may feel uncomfortable reporting through the > comply with all applicable laws, regulations and normal channels of communication within the firm KPMG in Malta policies or may consider that concerns they have expressed > report any illegal acts, whether committed by KPMG have not been dealt with effectively. We inform our in Malta personnel, clients or other third parties people in our training, communications and on our > report breaches of risk management policies intranet portal, that KPMG International maintains a > uphold the highest levels of client confidentiality hotline operated by a third party supplier. This hotline > not offer, promise, make, solicit or accept bribes serves as a confidential reporting mechanism for any (whether directly or through an intermediary). concerns about possible illegal, unethical, or improper conduct, in relation to certain areas of activity by In addition, the KPMG International hotline is a KPMG International itself, those who work for KPMG vehicle for KPMG partners, employees, clients and International, or the senior leadership of a KPMG other parties to confidentially report concerns they member firm. Matters can be raised anonymously have relating to certain areas of activity by KPMG without fear of retaliation. Matters reported to the International itself, its employees or the senior hotline are investigated under the supervision of an leadership of a KPMG member firm. independent ombudsman and are reported ultimately to the firm s Quality & Risk Management Committee. Such reporting covers matters reported to the hotline, how the investigations were conducted, findings from the investigations, and the implications for our policies and procedures Leadership responsibilities for quality and risk management KPMG in Malta demonstrates commitment to quality, ethics and integrity, and communicates its focus on quality to clients, stakeholders and society. However, leadership plays a critical role in setting the right tone and leading by example. Our leadership team is committed to building a culture based on quality, integrity and ethics, demonstrated through their actions. The following individuals have leadership responsibilities for quality and risk management at KPMG. Senior partner In accordance with the principles set out in ISQC1, our Senior Partner, Tonio Zarb, has assumed ultimate responsibility for KPMG in Malta s system of quality control. Details of some of the measures that he and the rest of the Partnership Board have taken to ensure that a culture of quality prevails within KPMG in Malta, are set out in this section of the report. Risk Management Partner Operational responsibility for the system of quality control, risk management and compliance in KPMG has been delegated to the Risk Management Partner who is responsible for setting overall professional risk management and quality control policies and monitoring compliance for the firm. He has a seat on the firm s Executive Management Committee, chairs the Quality and Risk Management Committee, and has a direct reporting line to the Senior Partner. This underlines the importance that the group places on risk and quality issues. The Risk Management Partner is supported, as appropriate, by partners and professionals in each of the functions. He consults with the appointed Area Quality and Risk Management Leader. The Audit, Tax and Advisory functions Function Heads The three heads of the client service functions (Audit, Tax and Advisory) are accountable to the senior partner for the quality of service delivered in their respective functions. Between them, they determine the operation of the risk management, quality assurance and monitoring procedures for their specific functions within the framework set by the Risk Management Partner. These procedures make it clear that at the engagement level, risk management and quality control is ultimately the responsibility of all professionals. KPMG in Malta s Heads of Audit are responsible for leading a sustainable high-quality Audit practice that is attractive to KPMG people. This includes: > setting the right tone at the top by demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the highest standards of professional excellence, including scepticism, objectivity, and independence > developing and implementing strategies to monitor and maintain knowledge and skills required of partners and employees to fulfil their professional responsibilities > working with the Risk Management Partner to monitor and address audit quality and risk matters as they relate to the Audit practice, including an annual evaluation of activities considered to be key to audit quality.

8 Association with the right clients Acceptance and continuance of clients and engagements Rigorous client and engagement acceptance and continuance policies and processes help protect KPMG s reputation, support our brand and are an important part to our ability to provide high-quality professional services. Accordingly, KPMG International has established policies and procedures which all member firms are required to implement in order to decide whether to accept or continue a client relationship, and whether to perform a specific engagement for that client Prospective client and engagement evaluation process Before accepting a client, KPMG in Malta undertakes an evaluation of a prospective client. This involves an assessment of the prospective client s principals, its business, and other service-related matters. This also involves background checks on the prospective client, its key management and significant beneficial owners. A key focus is on the integrity of management of a prospective client and the evaluation considers, amongst other factors, breaches of law and regulation, anti-bribery and corruption and human rights. A second partner, as well as the evaluating partner, approves each prospective client evaluation. Where the client is considered to be high risk, the Risk Management Partner or delegate is involved in approving the evaluation. The prospective engagement partner evaluates each prospective engagement, in practice this may be completed at the same time as the client evaluation, particularly in respect of audit appointments. The evaluation identifies potential risks in relation to the engagement. A range of factors are considered as part of this evaluation, including potential independence and conflict of interest issues (using Sentinel, KPMG s conflicts and independence checking system) as well as factors specific to the type of engagement, including for audit services, the competence of the client s financial management team and the skills and experience of personnel assigned to the engagement. The evaluation is made in consultation with other senior KPMG in Malta personnel and includes review by the quality and risk management leadership as required. Where audit services are to be provided for the first time, the prospective engagement team is required to perform additional independence evaluation procedures including a review of any non-audit services provided to the client, and of other relevant relationships. Similar independence evaluations are performed when an existing audit client becomes a public interest entity or when additional independence restrictions apply following a change in the circumstances of the client. We follow specific procedures to identify and evaluate threats to independence for prospective audit clients that are public interest entities. Depending on the overall risk assessment of the prospective client and engagement, additional safeguards may be introduced to help mitigate the identified risks. Any potential independence or conflict of interest issues are documented and resolved prior to acceptance. A prospective client or engagement will be declined if a potential independence or conflict issue cannot be resolved satisfactorily in accordance with professional and firm standards, or if there are other quality and risk issues that cannot be appropriately mitigated Continuance process An annual re-evaluation of all KPMG audit clients is undertaken. In addition, clients are re-evaluated if there is an indication that there may be a change in their risk profile. Recurring or long running non-audit engagements are also subject to re-evaluation. This re-evaluation serves two purposes. Firstly, we will decline to continue to act for any client we have reason to believe is no longer appropriate to associate with. Secondly and more commonly, we use the re-evaluation process to consider whether or not any additional risk management or quality control procedures need to be put in place for the subsequent engagement we perform for that client (this may include the assignment of additional professionals such as an EQC reviewer or the need to involve additional specialists on the audit) Withdrawal Where we obtain information that indicates that we should withdraw from an engagement or from a client relationship, we consult internally and identify any required legal and regulatory steps. We also communicate as required with those charged with governance and any other appropriate authority Client portfolio management Our leadership appoints engagement leaders that have the appropriate competences, capabilities, time and authority to perform the role for each engagement. The client portfolio of each engagement leader is regularly reviewed to ensure that they have sufficient time to manage the portfolio and that risks are being appropriately managed.

9 Clear standards and robust audit tools All our professionals are expected to understand, apply and adhere to KPMG policies and procedures (including independence policies) and are provided with a range of tools and guidance to support them in meeting these expectations. The policies and procedures we set for audit engagements incorporate the relevant requirements of accounting, auditing, ethical, and quality control standards, and relevant laws and regulations Audit methodology and tools The key activities within the eaudit workflow are: Significant resources are dedicated to keeping our Engagement setup standards and tools complete and up to date. KPMG International s global audit methodology, developed > perform engagement acceptance and scoping by the Global Services Centre, is based on the > determine team selection and timetable. requirements of International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). The methodology is set out in our audit manual, Risk assessment the KPMG International s Audit Methodology ( KAM ) > understand the entity and includes additional requirements that go beyond > plan for involvement of our specialists and external the ISAs and which KPMG believes enhance the experts, internal audit, service organisations and quality of our audits. KAM is made available to all other auditors as required audit professionals. Such methodology serves as the > evaluate design and implementation of foundation of our financial statement audit. In addition relevant controls to engagement, quality and risk matters, KAM also > conduct risk assessment and planning discussion deals with the activities involved in, and standard > determine audit strategy and planned documentation for, all aspects of our audit work. audit approach. Our audit methodology is supported by eaudit, KPMG Testing International s electronic audit tool, which provides KPMG auditors worldwide with the methodology, > test operating effectiveness of selected controls guidance, and industry knowledge needed to perform > plan and perform substantive procedures. efficient, high-quality audits. eaudit s activity-based workflow provides engagement teams with ready access to relevant information at the right time throughout the audit, thereby enhancing effectiveness and efficiency and delivering value to stakeholders. Completion > update risk assessment > perform completion procedures, including overall review of financial statements > perform overall evaluation, including evaluation of significant findings and issues > communicate with those charged with governance (e.g. the audit committee) > form the audit opinion. KAM contains examples and guidance for, among other things, procedures intended to identify and assess the risk of material misstatement and procedures to respond to those assessed risks. The KPMG methodology encourages engagement teams to exercise professional scepticism in all aspects of planning and performing an audit. Our methodology encourages use of specialists when appropriate and also requires involvement of relevant specialists in the core audit engagement team when certain criteria are met or where the audit team considers it appropriate or necessary. KAM includes the implementation of quality control procedures at the engagement level that provide us with reasonable assurance that engagements comply with the relevant professional, legal, regulatory, and KPMG International requirements. The policies and procedures set out in KAM are specific to audits and supplement the policies and procedures set out in the GQ&RM Manual that is applicable to all KPMG member firms, functions and personnel Independence, integrity, ethics and objectivity Overview KPMG International have detailed independence policies and procedures, incorporating the requirements of the IESBA Code of Ethics. These are set out in KPMG s Global Q&RM Manual. Automated tools facilitate compliance with these requirements. These policies are supplemented by other processes to ensure compliance with the standards issued by the Accountancy Board. These policies and processes cover areas such as firm independence (covering, for example, treasury and procurement functions), personal independence, firm financial relationships, post-employment relationships, partner rotation and approval of audit and non-audit services. To help ensure ethical conduct, including integrity and independence, KPMG International requires that each member firm, and its personnel, must be free from prohibited financial interests in, and prohibited relationships with, the audit clients, their management, directors and significant owners. KPMG in Malta has a designated Ethics and Independence Partner (EIP) who has primary responsibility for the direction and execution of ethics and independence policies and procedures. Member firms EIPs are supported by the Global Independence Group. The Partner-in-Charge of the Global Independence Group is supported by a core team of specialists to help ensure that robust and consistent independence policies, procedures and tools are implemented.

10 19 Amendments to KPMG International s ethics and independence policies in the course of the year are communicated by alerts and included in regular quality and risk communications. Member firms are required to implement changes as specified in the alerts, and this is checked through the internal monitoring programs. KPMG in Malta personnel are required to consult with the EIP on certain matters as defined in the Global Q&RM Manual. In the event of failure to comply with the independence policies, professionals are subject to an independence disciplinary policy. Matters arising are factored into promotion and compensation decisions and performance discussions. The disciplinary policy is communicated to all professionals and applies to all breaches of independence rules, incorporating incremental sanctions reflecting the seriousness of any violations Personal Financial Independence KPMG International policy extends the IESBA Code of Ethics restrictions on ownership of audit client securities to every member firm partner in respect of any audit client of any member firm. Each member firm and its professionals must be free from prohibited financial interests in, and prohibited relationships with, KPMG s audit clients, their management, directors, and significant owners. KPMG in Malta professionals are responsible for making appropriate inquiries and taking other appropriate actions on an ongoing basis to ensure that they do not have any personal financial, business or family interests that are restricted for independence purposes. In common with other member firms of KPMG International, we use a web-based independence compliance system (KICS) to assist our professionals in their compliance with personal independence investment policies. This system contains an inventory of publicly available investment products. Partners and all client-facing staff who are manager grade or above are required to use the KICS system prior to entering into an investment to identify whether they are permitted to do so. They are also required to maintain a record of all of their investments in KICS, which automatically notifies them if their investments subsequently become restricted and they must dispose of that investment within 5 business days of the notification. We monitor Partner and manager compliance with this requirement as part of our program of independence compliance audits of a sample of professionals. In 2016, 36 of our people were subject to these audits (this included approximately one third of our principals (partners and directors) Employment Relationships Any professional providing services to an audit client, irrespective of function, is required to notify our EIP if they intend to enter into employment negotiations with that audit client. For partners, this requirement extends to any audit client of any KPMG member firm that is a public interest entity. Former members of the audit team or former partners of a member firm are prohibited from joining an audit client in certain roles unless they have disassociated from the member firm financially and have ceased participating in KPMG in Malta business or professional activities. Key audit partners and members of the chain of command for an audit client that is a public interest entity are subject to time restrictions (referred to as cooling-off periods) that preclude them from joining that client in certain roles until a defined period of time has passed. We communicate and monitor requirements in relation to employment of KPMG in Malta professionals by audit clients Firm Financial Independence KPMG in Malta also use KICS to record their own investments in SEC entities and affiliates (including funds), locally listed companies and funds, direct and material indirect investments held in pensions, and employee benefit plans (including non-public entities and funds). Additionally, we are required to record in the system all borrowing and capital financing relationships, and custodial, trust and brokerage accounts that hold member firm assets. On an annual basis, KPMG in Malta confirms compliance with independence requirements as part of the Risk Compliance Program Business relationships/suppliers KPMG in Malta has policies and procedures in place that are designed to ensure their business relationships are maintained in accordance with the IESBA Code of Ethics and other applicable local independence requirements. Detailed guidance is maintained covering, inter alia, business alliances and joint working arrangements, procurement relationships, and marketing and public affairs activities. Consultation is required in any case of uncertainty with the Risk Management Partner to ensure that no relationship is entered into with an audit client or its management, which is not permitted for independence purposes. Compliance with these policies and procedures is reviewed periodically Business acquisitions, admissions and investments If KPMG in Malta are in the process of considering the acquisition of, or investment in, a business, we are required to perform sufficient due diligence procedures on the prospective target to identify and address any potential independence and risk management issues prior to closing the transaction. Specific consultation requirements are applied to enable independence and other issues to be addressed when integrating the business into KPMG in Malta and the network Independence Clearance Process KPMG in Malta follow specific procedures to identify and evaluate threats to independence related to prospective audit clients that are public interest entities; these procedures, also referred to as the independence clearance process, must be completed prior to accepting an audit engagement for these entities.

11 Independence training and confirmations KPMG in Malta provides all relevant personnel (including all Partners and client service professionals) with independence training that is appropriate to their grade and function on an annual basis. New personnel who are required to complete this training must do so by either (a) thirty days after joining KPMG in Malta or (b) before providing any services to any SEC client or its affiliates. We also provide all personnel with training on the Code of Conduct and ethical behaviour, including KPMG s anti-bribery policies, compliance with laws, regulations, and professional standards, and reporting suspected or actual non-compliance with laws, regulations, professional standards, and KPMG s policies on a biennial basis. New personnel are required to complete this training within 1 month of joining the firm. Upon acceptance of employment, all KPMG personnel are required to confirm that they are in compliance with, and will abide by applicable ethics and independence rules and policies. Thereafter, all KPMG personnel are required to sign an annual confirmation stating that they have remained in compliance with applicable ethics and independence policies throughout the year covered by the confirmation. In addition, all KPMG personnel are required to confirm their understanding of, and compliance with, the applicable Code of Conduct upon joining their member firm and on an annual basis thereafter. This confirmation is used to evidence the individual s compliance with and understanding of our independence policies Non-audit services We have policies, which are consistent with both the IESBA principles and Directive 2, Code of Ethics for Warrant Holders issued in terms of the Accountancy Profession Act (CAP 281) which address the scope of services that can be provided to audit clients. We are required to establish and maintain a process to review and approve all new and modified services that are developed by KPMG in Malta or adopted from another member firm. The EIP is involved in the review of potential independence issues, and the Global Independence Group is involved in the case of services developed for global adoption. In addition to identifying potential conflicts of interest, KPMG International s proprietary system, Sentinel, facilitates compliance with these policies. Certain information on all prospective engagements that includes service descriptions and fees must be entered into Sentinel as part of the engagement acceptance process. Using Sentinel lead audit engagement partners are required to: maintain group structures for their publicly traded and certain other audit clients as well as their affiliates, and identify and evaluate any independence threats that may arise from the provision of a proposed non-audit service and the safeguards available to address those threats. Sentinel enables lead audit engagement partners for entities for which group structures are maintained, to review and approve, or deny, any proposed service for those entities worldwide Fee dependency KPMG International s policies recognise that, selfinterest or intimidation threats may arise when the total fees from an audit client represent a large proportion of the total fees of the operating firm expressing the audit opinion. In particular, KPMG International s policies require that, in the event that the total fees from a public interest entity audit client and its related entities represent more than 10 percent of the total fees received by a particular member firm for two consecutive years. > This would be disclosed to those charged with governance at the audit entity > A Senior Partner from another KPMG member firm would be appointed as the Engagement Quality Control (EQC) reviewer. No audit client accounted for more than 10 percent of the total fees received by KPMG in Malta over the last two years Conflicts of interest Conflicts of interest can arise in situations where KPMG personnel have a personal connection with the client which may interfere or be perceived to interfere with their ability to remain objective, or where they are personally in possession of confidential information relating to another party to a transaction. Consultation with the Risk Management Partner or the Ethics and Independence Partner is required in these situations. All KPMG member firms and personnel are responsible for identifying and managing conflicts of interest, which are circumstances or situations that have, or may be perceived by a fully informed, reasonable observer, to have an impact on a member firm or its personnel in their ability to be objective or otherwise act without bias. Sentinel is the tool all KPMG member firms use for potential conflict identification so that these can be addressed in accordance with legal and professional requirements. It may be necessary to apply specific procedures to manage the potential for a conflict of interest to arise or be perceived to arise so that the confidentiality of all clients affairs is maintained. Such procedures may, for example, include establishing formal dividers between engagement teams serving different clients and making arrangements to monitor the operation of such dividers. Escalation and dispute resolution procedures are in place for situations in which agreement cannot be reached on how to manage a conflict. If a potential conflict issue cannot be appropriately mitigated, the engagement is declined or terminated Breaches of Independence Policy All KPMG personnel are required to report an independence breach as soon as they become aware of it. In the event of failure to comply with our independence policies, whether identified in the compliance review, self-declared or otherwise, professionals are subject to an independence disciplinary policy. KPMG in Malta has a documented disciplinary policy in relation to breaches of independence policies. The disciplinary policy is communicated to all professionals and applies to all breaches of independence rules,

12 23 incorporating incremental sanctions reflecting the seriousness of any violations. Any breaches of auditor independence regulations are reported to those charged with governance at the audit client, on the basis agreed with them. Matters arising are factored into promotion and compensation decisions and, in the case of engagement leaders and managers, are reflected in their individual quality and risk metrics Compliance with laws, regulations and antibribery and corruption Compliance with laws, regulation and standards is a key aspect for all KPMG in Malta personnel. In particular, KPMG in Malta has zero tolerance of bribery and corruption. We prohibit involvement in any type of bribery - even if such conduct is legal or permitted under applicable law or local practice. We also do not tolerate bribery by third-parties, including by our clients, suppliers or public officials. Accordingly, training covering compliance with laws (including those relating to anti-bribery and corruption), regulations and professional standards, and the KPMG Code of Conduct is required to be completed by clientfacing professionals at least once every two years, with new recruits completing such training one month after joining KPMG in Malta. In addition, certain non-clientfacing personnel who work in finance, procurement or sales and marketing departments, and who are at the manager level and above, are also required to participate in anti-bribery training Partner and firm rotation Partner rotation KPMG International rotation policies are consistent with the IESBA Code of Ethics and require our firm to comply with any stricter applicable rotation requirements. KPMG in Malta partners are subject to periodic rotation of their responsibilities for audit clients under applicable laws, regulations, independence rules and KPMG International policy. These requirements place limits on the number of consecutive years that partners in certain roles may provide statutory audit services to a client, followed by a time-out period during which time these partners may not participate in the audit, provide quality control for the audit, consult with the engagement team or the client regarding technical or industry-specific issues or in any way influence the outcome of the audit. We monitor the rotation of audit engagement leaders (and any other key roles, such as the Key Audit Partner and EQC Reviewer, where there is a rotation requirement) and develop transition plans to enable allocation of partners with the necessary competence and capability to deliver a consistent quality of service to clients. The partner rotation monitoring is subject to compliance testing. Firm rotation In terms of the 2016 changes to the Companies Act (CAP 386) subject to transitional requirements, a public interest entity shall appoint an auditor for a maximum period of 10 years extended to a maximum period of 20 years subject to a public tender process being held after 10 years. KPMG in Malta has processes in place to track and manage audit firm rotation. 2.4 Recruitment, development and assignment of appropriately qualified personnel One of the key drivers of quality is ensuring that KPMG professionals have the skills and experience to deliver our vision. This requires recruitment, promotion and retention of professionals and a robust capacity and resource management processes. KPMG s global behaviours, which are linked to our Values, are designed to help articulate what is required for success both individually and collectively. One of KPMG s global behaviours is Delivering Quality Recruitment At KPMG we aim to recruit well-rounded individuals with good communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills combined with high technical competency and personal values consistent with the firm s values. All candidates submit résumés and application forms, and are interviewed. Certain information included in the candidates application is also verified through independent sources. At interview stage, personnel are informed of the general personal independence requirements that apply to all professional staff members. KPMG in Malta recruited over 48 new people (excluding students and trainees) in the year ended 31 December 2016 (2015: approximately 49). Our recruiting strategies are focused on drawing entrylevel talent from a broad talent base, including working with established universities, colleges and business schools, but also working with secondary schools, helping build relationships with a younger, diverse talent pool at an early age Personal development It is important that all our professionals have the necessary business and leadership skills to be able to perform quality work in addition to technical skills. At KPMG we continually review and assess our people s capabilities and competence to perform engagements in accordance with professional standards, legal and regulatory requirements. We provide opportunities for our people to develop the core competences, skills, behaviours and personal qualities that form the foundations of a successful career. Courses for all staff levels to enhance personal effectiveness and develop technical, leadership and professional skills are provided by the firm on an ongoing basis. KPMG in Malta professionals are developed further for high performance through coaching and mentoring on the job, complemented by opportunities to work on challenging engagements both in Malta and overseas through the global mobility opportunities. The firm requires its professionals to complete annual training on independence standards and the ethical standards embedded in the firm s Code of