Regulatory burdens have the potential to further amplify the
South Africa audit profession’s crushing skills shortage, according
to two industry leaders.
Speaking to The Accountant for the South Africa survey
(see Bearing the burden of legislation), South African
Institute of Chartered Accountants president Ignatius Sehoole said
there is a danger of small- and medium-sized firms being pushed out
of audit due to the costs associated with quality control
reviews.
In South Africa, all audit firms must be reviewed by the
Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA). But where in
other jurisdictions costs are shared by government and other
stakeholders, in South Africa they are paid for in full by the
firm.
Sehoole said this is, in some cases, an unmanageable burden:
“While it is still a significant cost for the Big Four, one can
argue that because of the size of the firms they are better able to
absorb those costs. But our medium to small firms… some I
understand have actually closed shop.
“This is not because they wouldn’t want to be reviewed, a lot of
them are quite optimistic that if they were to be reviewed they
would pass with flying colours. But because of the nature of their
clientele and the size of the firm, they just can’t afford it.
“I think in a country like ours where skills shortage is a
problem, it is a pity to be losing skills in an area where it is
needed simply because the costs are prohibitive.”
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By GlobalDataThe IRBA is currently reviewing its funding structure with the
hope that government and other stakeholders will contribute to the
costs.
Legal threats
IRBA acting chief executive Bernard Agulhas said another
regulatory burden threatening to push people out of the profession
and into business is the threat of up to ten years imprisonment and
a ZAR10 million ($1.3 million) fine for an auditor who does not
report a client’s reporting irregularity. “It is difficult because
financially it is more feasible for them to go out into industry,
because the risks are less,” he said.
