Subject: PUBLIC SECTOR ACCOUNTING & FINANCE (PSAF)

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q5c – Functions of the State Interests and Governance Authority

Explains four functions of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) in overseeing state entities.

The Nine Hundred and Ninetieth Act of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana entitled the State Interests and Governance Authority Act, 2019 was established to oversee and administer state interests in state-owned enterprises, joint venture companies, and other state entities and to provide for related matters.

Required:

Explain FOUR functions of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA).

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q5b – Nolan’s Principles of Public Life

Explains four of Nolan’s Seven Principles of Public Life, which guide ethical behavior in public office.

 Nolan’s Seven Principles of Public Life serve as guidelines for ethical behavior in public service. They are not typically enforceable through direct legal actions; instead, they often operate as moral and professional standards shaping the behavior of individuals in public office.

Required:

Explain FOUR of these principles.

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q5a – Public Financial Management Regulations

Explains the provisions in PFM Regulation 2019 for a Principal Spending Officer in the payment process and differentiates between misapplication and misappropriation of funds.

a) The Public Financial Management Regulation makes the Principal Spending Officer (PSO) personally responsible for all payments of the covered entity. To mitigate possible risk exposure of the PSO during the payment process, the regulations provide guidance to assist approving authorities before signing off any payment.

In recent times, the Auditor-General has faulted PSOs for infractions such as misapplication of funds, misappropriation of funds, and partially accounted payments among others. Similar observations were cited in the 2023 Management Letter of Nipa Ye Municipal Assembly.

Required:

i) With reference to the PFM Regulation 2019, LI 2378, explain the provisions available to the PSO in the payment process before approval.

ii) Distinguish between misapplication of funds and misappropriation of funds as used by the Auditor-General with an example each.

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PSA – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q4c – Events After the Reporting Date

Explanation of events occurring after the reporting date and their impact on financial statements.

Explain THREE limitations of ratio analysis

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q4b – Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability

Explanation of the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability framework and its application.

Based on your results in (a), write a report to the newly appointed board analyzing and indicating whether their performance is better in comparison with the old board.

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q4a – Financial Ratio Analysis

Compute financial ratios for Ghana Wind Farms LTD to analyze performance trends.

Ghana Wind Farms LTD, a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE), has appointed a new Board of Directors in January 2023. The new Board, after settling for a year, is interested in assessing their performance for the year 2023 against the performance of the previous Board in the year 2022 through ratio analysis. Below is the financial statement of Ghana Wind Farms LTD for the two years.


Ghana Wind Farms LTD

Statement of Profit or Loss for the Year Ended 31 December 2023

2023 (GH¢) 2022 (GH¢)
Revenue 9,860,000 6,218,000
Direct Cost (5,905,000) (5,822,000)
Gross Profit 3,955,000 396,000
Distribution Costs (297,000) (264,000)
Administrative Expenses (505,000) (455,000)
Other Income 236,000 13,000
Other Gains 1,482,000
Operating Profit 3,389,000 1,172,000
Finance Cost (1,000,000) (334,000)
Profit Before Tax Expense 2,389,000 838,000
Tax Expense (500,000) (144,000)
Profit After Tax 1,889,000 694,000

Ghana Wind Farms LTD

Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 2023

2023 (GH¢) 2022 (GH¢)
ASSETS
Non-Current Assets
Property, Plant & Equipment 17,000,000 15,000,000
Investment 5,000 2,000
Advances & Loans 30,000
Total Non-Current Assets 17,005,000 15,032,000
Current Assets
Inventories 687,000 546,000
Trade and Other Receivables 2,829,000 1,978,000
Prepayments 87,000 42,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents 383,000 434,000
Total Current Assets 3,986,000 3,000,000
TOTAL ASSETS 20,991,000 18,032,000
EQUITY & LIABILITIES
Equity
Government Equity 8,000 8,000
Other Government Equity 613,000 306,000
Capital Surplus 8,471,000 7,599,000
Income Surplus (1,434,000) 478,000
Total Equity 7,970,000 8,697,000
Non-Current Liabilities
Deferred Credit 6,692,000 670,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities 2,498,000 2,572,000
Borrowings (Due After One Year) 1,297,000 950,000
Total Non-Current Liabilities 10,487,000 4,192,000
Current Liabilities
Bank Overdraft 166,000 180,000
Provision for Company Tax 109,000 109,000
Trade and Other Payables 1,820,000 4,516,000
Borrowings (Due Within One Year) 439,000 338,000
Total Current Liabilities 2,534,000 5,143,000
Total Liabilities 13,021,000 9,335,000
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 20,991,000 18,032,000

Required:

a) Compute the following ratios:

i) Current Ratio
ii) Quick Ratio
iii) Inventory Turnover (Days)
iv) Trade Receivable Collection Period (Days)
v) Trade Payables Period (Days)
vi) Working Capital Cycle
vii) Interest Cover Ratio
viii) Total Debt – Total Asset Ratio

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q3b – Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment

Evaluate the financial performance of a local government based on PEFA assessment results and recommend strategies for improvement.

 Accounting and reporting constitute a key pillar of an organised and transparent public financial management system in the public sector. The effectiveness of accounting and reporting reflects the integrity of financial data, the accuracy of in-year budget reports, and the quality of annual financial statements. In a recent Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessment, a local government had the following results:

  • Annual financial reporting: D
  • In-year budget report: D+
  • Financial data integrity: C

Required:
i) Explain the assessment performance to the Municipal Chief Executive of the local government.
ii) Recommend two strategies for improving the performance of the local government in each of the assessed areas.

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q3a – Public Financial Management Cycle

Explaining objectives and improvements in public financial management systems.

As part of efforts to improve public financial management, the government has engaged experts to evaluate the entire public financial management cycle. The review report indicates that every component of the cycle is malfunctioning and emphasizes the need for a stronger commitment to building a robust system to achieve the desired outcomes.

Required:

i) Explain THREE key objectives of an orderly and open public financial management system.

ii) Recommend TWO ways of enhancing each stage of the public financial management cycle towards the attainment of desired outcomes.

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q2b – Related Party Transactions and Disclosures

Explains related party transactions and their implications under IPSAS 20.

You are the Director of Finance at the Ghana Water Development Authority, an entity under the Ministry of Forestry and Water. The Authority has a five-member Board chaired by the daughter of the Sector Minister. The Chief Executive Officer of the Authority has just been appointed by Government for an initial term of four years.

The Chairperson of the board runs boutique services. The Authority buys a lot of presents from this boutique whenever they are confronted with the need to give out presents to any high-profile person. The Chairperson has made a request to the Authority to finance her boutique services with an amount of GH¢546,000 to enable her business to pay some urgent bills. No terms or conditions were provided in the request. Such an assistance from a financial institution would attract the current prevailing bank interest on loans at a rate of 35% per annum. Recently, another member of the Board contracted a loan from the Bank for her child’s university entrance fees at that rate.

Management of the Authority indicated that the amount was not significant to the Authority and has been approved by the Head of the entity and the Chief Director. The approved document has been handed over to you for payment. Considering the PFM Laws and IPSAS, you engaged the Chief Director about the request, but you were directed to go ahead and pay and use the appropriate accounting treatment in such circumstances. You accordingly raised the necessary documentation and effected the payment.

Required:

In relation to IPSAS 20: Related Party Disclosures:

i) Explain the implications of this transaction on the Authority and state how you would account for this transaction in the financial statements of the entity.

ii) State SIX situations where related party transactions may lead to disclosures by a reporting entity.

iii) Explain TWO reasons for disclosing related party transactions/relations.

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q2a – Valuation of Legacy Fixed Assets

Valuation and accounting treatment of legacy fixed assets in compliance with IPSAS.

The Ministry of Indigenous Enterprises has been charged to collect legacy fixed assets data and value them in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). The Fixed Assets Coordinating Unit (FACU) of the Ministry has collected for valuation the following data for your action:

The Ministry owns a four (4) storey Office Administration block. The average cost per floor is GH¢4,741,256.25. The building was constructed on a land size of 20 plots of land owned by the Ministry. Currently, a plot of land in that area costs GH¢2,500,000. The FACU has measured the sizes of the building as follows:

  • Length: 87.5 meters
  • Width: 42.65 meters
  • Reference Price per Square Meter: GH¢4,432

However, a professional body, the Institute of Architects and Engineers, has given the reference price for the cost of such an office building at an estimated price of GH¢87,965,025. The building has not seen any further facelift ever since. However, a fence wall with a gate to enforce security and secure the land has just been completed in the current year at a cost of GH¢8,970,000 with a lifespan of 50 years.

The year of construction of the office building could not be determined, yet an old watchman who had been there for ages remembers that the building was constructed some 42 years ago, a time when his seventh child was born. It is the decision of the Government of Ghana on the adoption of IPSAS not to take advantage of the three-year exemption period but to account for legacy fixed assets by taking 60% of the reference cost of the legacy assets as the deemed cost, with a reduced lifespan of 30 years.

Required:

i) Calculate the cost of the land and buildings with structures to be brought into the books on the adoption of IPSAS and determine the depreciation chargeable in the first year in respect of these assets.                                                                                              ii) Show the extract of Statement of Financial Position of the Ministry of Indigenous
Enterprises as at that date

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q5c – Functions of the State Interests and Governance Authority

Explains four functions of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) in overseeing state entities.

The Nine Hundred and Ninetieth Act of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana entitled the State Interests and Governance Authority Act, 2019 was established to oversee and administer state interests in state-owned enterprises, joint venture companies, and other state entities and to provide for related matters.

Required:

Explain FOUR functions of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA).

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q5b – Nolan’s Principles of Public Life

Explains four of Nolan’s Seven Principles of Public Life, which guide ethical behavior in public office.

 Nolan’s Seven Principles of Public Life serve as guidelines for ethical behavior in public service. They are not typically enforceable through direct legal actions; instead, they often operate as moral and professional standards shaping the behavior of individuals in public office.

Required:

Explain FOUR of these principles.

Login or create a free account to see answers

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q5a – Public Financial Management Regulations

Explains the provisions in PFM Regulation 2019 for a Principal Spending Officer in the payment process and differentiates between misapplication and misappropriation of funds.

a) The Public Financial Management Regulation makes the Principal Spending Officer (PSO) personally responsible for all payments of the covered entity. To mitigate possible risk exposure of the PSO during the payment process, the regulations provide guidance to assist approving authorities before signing off any payment.

In recent times, the Auditor-General has faulted PSOs for infractions such as misapplication of funds, misappropriation of funds, and partially accounted payments among others. Similar observations were cited in the 2023 Management Letter of Nipa Ye Municipal Assembly.

Required:

i) With reference to the PFM Regulation 2019, LI 2378, explain the provisions available to the PSO in the payment process before approval.

ii) Distinguish between misapplication of funds and misappropriation of funds as used by the Auditor-General with an example each.

Login or create a free account to see answers

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PSA – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q4c – Events After the Reporting Date

Explanation of events occurring after the reporting date and their impact on financial statements.

Explain THREE limitations of ratio analysis

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q4b – Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability

Explanation of the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability framework and its application.

Based on your results in (a), write a report to the newly appointed board analyzing and indicating whether their performance is better in comparison with the old board.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q4a – Financial Ratio Analysis

Compute financial ratios for Ghana Wind Farms LTD to analyze performance trends.

Ghana Wind Farms LTD, a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE), has appointed a new Board of Directors in January 2023. The new Board, after settling for a year, is interested in assessing their performance for the year 2023 against the performance of the previous Board in the year 2022 through ratio analysis. Below is the financial statement of Ghana Wind Farms LTD for the two years.


Ghana Wind Farms LTD

Statement of Profit or Loss for the Year Ended 31 December 2023

2023 (GH¢) 2022 (GH¢)
Revenue 9,860,000 6,218,000
Direct Cost (5,905,000) (5,822,000)
Gross Profit 3,955,000 396,000
Distribution Costs (297,000) (264,000)
Administrative Expenses (505,000) (455,000)
Other Income 236,000 13,000
Other Gains 1,482,000
Operating Profit 3,389,000 1,172,000
Finance Cost (1,000,000) (334,000)
Profit Before Tax Expense 2,389,000 838,000
Tax Expense (500,000) (144,000)
Profit After Tax 1,889,000 694,000

Ghana Wind Farms LTD

Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 2023

2023 (GH¢) 2022 (GH¢)
ASSETS
Non-Current Assets
Property, Plant & Equipment 17,000,000 15,000,000
Investment 5,000 2,000
Advances & Loans 30,000
Total Non-Current Assets 17,005,000 15,032,000
Current Assets
Inventories 687,000 546,000
Trade and Other Receivables 2,829,000 1,978,000
Prepayments 87,000 42,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents 383,000 434,000
Total Current Assets 3,986,000 3,000,000
TOTAL ASSETS 20,991,000 18,032,000
EQUITY & LIABILITIES
Equity
Government Equity 8,000 8,000
Other Government Equity 613,000 306,000
Capital Surplus 8,471,000 7,599,000
Income Surplus (1,434,000) 478,000
Total Equity 7,970,000 8,697,000
Non-Current Liabilities
Deferred Credit 6,692,000 670,000
Deferred Tax Liabilities 2,498,000 2,572,000
Borrowings (Due After One Year) 1,297,000 950,000
Total Non-Current Liabilities 10,487,000 4,192,000
Current Liabilities
Bank Overdraft 166,000 180,000
Provision for Company Tax 109,000 109,000
Trade and Other Payables 1,820,000 4,516,000
Borrowings (Due Within One Year) 439,000 338,000
Total Current Liabilities 2,534,000 5,143,000
Total Liabilities 13,021,000 9,335,000
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 20,991,000 18,032,000

Required:

a) Compute the following ratios:

i) Current Ratio
ii) Quick Ratio
iii) Inventory Turnover (Days)
iv) Trade Receivable Collection Period (Days)
v) Trade Payables Period (Days)
vi) Working Capital Cycle
vii) Interest Cover Ratio
viii) Total Debt – Total Asset Ratio

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q3b – Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment

Evaluate the financial performance of a local government based on PEFA assessment results and recommend strategies for improvement.

 Accounting and reporting constitute a key pillar of an organised and transparent public financial management system in the public sector. The effectiveness of accounting and reporting reflects the integrity of financial data, the accuracy of in-year budget reports, and the quality of annual financial statements. In a recent Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessment, a local government had the following results:

  • Annual financial reporting: D
  • In-year budget report: D+
  • Financial data integrity: C

Required:
i) Explain the assessment performance to the Municipal Chief Executive of the local government.
ii) Recommend two strategies for improving the performance of the local government in each of the assessed areas.

Login or create a free account to see answers

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q3a – Public Financial Management Cycle

Explaining objectives and improvements in public financial management systems.

As part of efforts to improve public financial management, the government has engaged experts to evaluate the entire public financial management cycle. The review report indicates that every component of the cycle is malfunctioning and emphasizes the need for a stronger commitment to building a robust system to achieve the desired outcomes.

Required:

i) Explain THREE key objectives of an orderly and open public financial management system.

ii) Recommend TWO ways of enhancing each stage of the public financial management cycle towards the attainment of desired outcomes.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q2b – Related Party Transactions and Disclosures

Explains related party transactions and their implications under IPSAS 20.

You are the Director of Finance at the Ghana Water Development Authority, an entity under the Ministry of Forestry and Water. The Authority has a five-member Board chaired by the daughter of the Sector Minister. The Chief Executive Officer of the Authority has just been appointed by Government for an initial term of four years.

The Chairperson of the board runs boutique services. The Authority buys a lot of presents from this boutique whenever they are confronted with the need to give out presents to any high-profile person. The Chairperson has made a request to the Authority to finance her boutique services with an amount of GH¢546,000 to enable her business to pay some urgent bills. No terms or conditions were provided in the request. Such an assistance from a financial institution would attract the current prevailing bank interest on loans at a rate of 35% per annum. Recently, another member of the Board contracted a loan from the Bank for her child’s university entrance fees at that rate.

Management of the Authority indicated that the amount was not significant to the Authority and has been approved by the Head of the entity and the Chief Director. The approved document has been handed over to you for payment. Considering the PFM Laws and IPSAS, you engaged the Chief Director about the request, but you were directed to go ahead and pay and use the appropriate accounting treatment in such circumstances. You accordingly raised the necessary documentation and effected the payment.

Required:

In relation to IPSAS 20: Related Party Disclosures:

i) Explain the implications of this transaction on the Authority and state how you would account for this transaction in the financial statements of the entity.

ii) State SIX situations where related party transactions may lead to disclosures by a reporting entity.

iii) Explain TWO reasons for disclosing related party transactions/relations.

Login or create a free account to see answers

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PSAF – Nov 2024 – L2 – Q2a – Valuation of Legacy Fixed Assets

Valuation and accounting treatment of legacy fixed assets in compliance with IPSAS.

The Ministry of Indigenous Enterprises has been charged to collect legacy fixed assets data and value them in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). The Fixed Assets Coordinating Unit (FACU) of the Ministry has collected for valuation the following data for your action:

The Ministry owns a four (4) storey Office Administration block. The average cost per floor is GH¢4,741,256.25. The building was constructed on a land size of 20 plots of land owned by the Ministry. Currently, a plot of land in that area costs GH¢2,500,000. The FACU has measured the sizes of the building as follows:

  • Length: 87.5 meters
  • Width: 42.65 meters
  • Reference Price per Square Meter: GH¢4,432

However, a professional body, the Institute of Architects and Engineers, has given the reference price for the cost of such an office building at an estimated price of GH¢87,965,025. The building has not seen any further facelift ever since. However, a fence wall with a gate to enforce security and secure the land has just been completed in the current year at a cost of GH¢8,970,000 with a lifespan of 50 years.

The year of construction of the office building could not be determined, yet an old watchman who had been there for ages remembers that the building was constructed some 42 years ago, a time when his seventh child was born. It is the decision of the Government of Ghana on the adoption of IPSAS not to take advantage of the three-year exemption period but to account for legacy fixed assets by taking 60% of the reference cost of the legacy assets as the deemed cost, with a reduced lifespan of 30 years.

Required:

i) Calculate the cost of the land and buildings with structures to be brought into the books on the adoption of IPSAS and determine the depreciation chargeable in the first year in respect of these assets.                                                                                              ii) Show the extract of Statement of Financial Position of the Ministry of Indigenous
Enterprises as at that date

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