Publication: Jamaica : Accounting and Auditing
Loading...
Published
2003-06-15
ISSN
Date
2013-07-25
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This report assesses both the mandatory requirements and the actual practices of the accounting and auditing professions in Jamaica, using the International Accounting Standards (IAS) and the International Standards of Auditing (ISA) as benchmarks. The assessment was conducted using a diagnostic tool developed by the World Bank under a joint initiative of World Bank and International Monetary Fund on the Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC). The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ) initially carried out a self-assessment with the assistance of an international consultant, to prepare the ground for obtaining financial assistance under the Multilateral Investment Fund program of the Inter-American Development Bank.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2003. Jamaica : Accounting and Auditing. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14547 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Bhutan - Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes : Accounting and Auditing(World Bank, 2009-05-26)Bhutan has registered rapid economic growth in the recent past. But the private sector's contribution to this growth has not been significant. Recognizing that the private sector can play an important role as an engine of growth, the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) mapped out strategies to encourage the private sector to participate in the Kingdom's growth. An important strategy outlined under Bhutan's Tenth Five-Year-Plan (10FYP) is to enhance employment opportunities by encouraging private sector development, which will broaden the employment base. This strategy is also in line with another major 10FYP objective of vitalizing industry, in which the private sector is envisaged to play a major role. Bhutan's financial sector has hitherto been very small and underdeveloped, owing to the lack of adequate development in the private sector and the small size of the economy. The RGoB assessed that the lack of a clear institutional framework is one the major factors responsible for the slow growth and weak performance of industries in Bhutan, notably in the manufacturing and trade sectors. It is against this backdrop that the World Bank at the invitation of the RGoB has undertaken an assessment of accounting and auditing practices in the Kingdom of Bhutan with respect to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the International Standards on Auditing (ISA) issued by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). This assessment is positioned within the broader context of the country's institutional framework and capacity needed to ensure compliance with international standards and to improve the quality of financial reporting in the country. These recommendations are aimed at achieving corporate financial reporting practices of international standards and to help create a world-class working environment for professional accountants and auditors in Bhutan.Publication Ghana : Accounting and Auditing(Washington, DC, 2004-06-19)This report provides an assessment of accounting and auditing practices within the context of the Ghana institutional framework to ensure the quality of corporate financial reporting. The accounting and auditing practices in Ghana suffer from institutional weaknesses in regulation, compliance, and enforcement of standards and rules. Various weaknesses were identified in the laws and regulations governing financial reporting. Although Ghana Accounting and Auditing Standards have been based on International Accounting Standards and International Standards on Auditing, respectively, they are outdated and gaps exist in comparison with the international equivalents. Furthermore, national ethical requirements for auditors are not in line with international requirements. Full compliance with Ghana National Accounting Standards is not readily achieved; some listed companies inappropriately claim compliance with International Accounting Standards. There is inadequate adherence to auditing standards and professional ethics. Apart from the banking sector practice, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are ineffective. These factors, as well as poor quality accounting education and training, have contributed to weaknesses of the financial reporting and auditing regime. The policy recommendations provided in this report focus on improving statutory framework, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, upgrading professional education and training, and enhancing capacity of regulatory and professional bodies.Publication Czech Republic : Accounting and Auditing(Washington, DC, 2003-07-17)Financial reporting and auditing requirements in the Czech Republic are currently in transition from complying with national standards to complying with International Accounting Standards (IAS), International Standards on Auditing (ISA), and the European Union (EU) Directives. By law, the Czech Republic seeks to attain maximum compliance with the EU Fourth and Seventh Directives and the EU Regulation on the use of IAS, and to create an environment for implementing IAS for the financial statements of public interest entities by 2005. Small- and medium-size enterprises prepare their financial statements in accord with Czech Accounting Standards, which are largely based on the EU Directives and IAS. In practice, compliance with certain complex EU Directives and IAS requirements, including those dealing with consolidation and deferred tax, has been delayed. Presently, compliance with IAS is not effectively enforced. The transition to full IAS compliance for public interest entities will require extensive education in a different style and philosophy of accounting requirements. The transition to full IAS will require a culture shift to reduce the influence of tax accounting on general-purpose financial statements. By law, the Czech Republic seeks to comply with the EU Eighth Directive and ISA. There are, however, serious issues because Czech Standards on Auditing remain less robust than ISA, the Chamber of Auditors in the Czech Republic (CACR) has not adopted the International Federation of Accountants Code of Ethics, and certain EU Recommendations on auditor's independence and quality assurance have not yet been endorsed. While the Chamber of Auditors is aware of the challenges it faces, the transition to full ISA audits requires extensive education and strict enforcement of standards. This report draws upon recent international experience in developed economies and accession countries, as well as expected amendments to EU Directives, and recommends that the current self-regulation of the audit profession be reviewed and an adequate oversight mechanism established.Publication Latvia(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-09)This assessment of accounting and auditing practices in Latvia is part of a joint initiative of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to prepare Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC). One of the twelve ROSC modules focuses on Accounting and Auditing (A&A), this assessment addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the accounting and auditing environment that influence the quality of corporate financial reporting and includes a review of both mandatory requirements and actual practice. This is the second A&A ROSC for Latvia. The first one was published in 2005.Publication El Salvador Financial Sector Assessment Program Update(Washington, DC, 2010-11)This assessment of the Basel Core Principles (BCP) was conducted as part of the financial sector assessment program (FSAP) update evaluation of the El Salvador financial system from April 22 to May 10, 2010. The supervisory framework was assessed against the BCP methodology issued in October 2006. The assessment of compliance with each principle is made on a qualitative basis. A four-part assessment system is used: compliant; largely compliant; materially noncompliant; and noncompliant. A largely compliant assessment is given if only minor shortcomings are observed, and these are not seen as sufficient to raise serious doubts about the authority's ability to achieve the objective of that principle. A materially noncompliant assessment is given when the shortcomings are sufficient to raise doubts about the authority's ability to achieve compliance, but substantive progress has been made. A noncompliant assessment is given when no substantive progress toward compliance has been achieved. The ratings assigned during this assessment are not comparable to the ones assigned in the 2000 FSAP, as the bar to measure the effectiveness of a supervisory framework has been raised in the new methodology. This paper is structures as follows: introduction; information and methodology used for assessment; institutional and macroeconomic setting and market structure- overview; preconditions for effective bank supervision; main findings; and recommended action plan and authorities' response.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Business Ready 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03)Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Digital Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-03-13)All African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. "Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs" shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing, digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, it can support not only countries’ short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa’s uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of Africa’s population, but only 22 percent uses such services. And the average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: affordability of these new technologies and willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes—in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small- and medium-size businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services—and in the supply of attractive, skills-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings—dampen people’s willingness to use them. For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty throughout Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa’s countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers’ ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce—one projected to become the world’s largest by the end of this century.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.