ISSUES IN ACCOUNTING
STANDRADS:
FOR ISLAMIC FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Markfield Institute of Higher
Education
Introduction
•
Banking success
: public trust placed in
individual banks (depositors/ investors).
•
Trust in Islamic banks:
also relates to
the extent of adherence to Shariah ( the
identity card of Islamic banks).
Imperative need for Accounting
Standards
• Emphasis of the Quran:
•
“...Never get bored with recording it,
however small or large, up to its maturity
date, for this is seen by Allah closer to
Imperative need for Accounting
Standards
• An open room for making appropriate
accounting judgement:
General Plan:
1. Key Concept of an Islamic Bank
2. Objectives of Islamic financial accounting
3. Basic Accounting assumptions and
criteria
I. Key concept of Islamic bank
• Mechanism: accept ‘deposits’ and offer ‘financings’ plus other banking/ investment services.
• Compliance to Shariah: interest rate elimination plus alternative Islamic modes.
• PLS investment alternatives:
1. Unrestricted investments. 2. Restricted investments.
Key Concept of Islamic bank:
‘Balance Sheet’
• Assets Side : Physical assets plus interest-free financial assets: Murabaha, Ijara, Istisnaa, Salam, Mudarabah, Musharakah etc.
• Liability side :
1. Liabilities: free demand deposits, interest-free saving deposits- no fixed return term deposits.
2. Unrestricted investment accounts : The Islamic alternative of term deposits.
3. Net, worth
Islamic Banks’ Processing of rights
and obligations
•
Recognition
– timely recording of the basic
elements of financial statements as they take effect.
•
Measurement
- quantification of financial
effects•
Recording
-
lucid classification scheme of financial effectsII. Objectives of financial
accounting.
Why to identify unique objectives?
1. Ensure consistency with the objectives of
Islamic accounting standards.
2. Ensure internal consistency for all
present and future standards
Objectives of financial
accounting.
1. Determine rights and obligations of all interested parties in accordance with the principles of Shariah.
2. Subscribe to the safeguarding of the Islamic bank’s assets, its rights and the rights of
others.
3. Subscribe to the enhancement of managerial and productive capabilities of Islamic banks. 4. Report useful information to users, thus
Users of Financial Reports
• Focus must be placed on non-authoritative common information needs.
• Appropriate Users of information are 1. Equity holders
2. Investment account holders
3. Current and Saving Account holders 4. Other dealers with Islamic banks
5. Zakah Agencies
Objectives of Financial Reports:
• Information about Islamic bank’s extent of compliance with Shariah.
• Information about adequacy of Islamic bank’s capital, investment risks, and liquidity.
• Information about cash flows-timing/risks. • Information about Bank’s policy in Zakah
assessment and disbursal.
• Information about Bank’s fiduciary responsibilities.
II. Basic assumptions and
Criteria:
Theassumptions
•
Accounting unit
:
treatment of an Islamic bank as a separate accounting entity from its owners•
On-going concern:
no perceivable time horizon of assets liquidation or equity/ unrestricted investment termination. Consider the far reaching consequences !•
Periodicity
:
breaking life of the Islamic bank into reporting periods•
Stability of purchasing power
.
TheQualitative Criteria of accounting
information
• Usefulness : in relation to given financial reporting objectives .
• Relevance: Predictive value, Feedback value and Timeliness
• Reliability : reflect the substance of the event or transaction.
• Comparability: similar methods of measurement/ disclosure in relation to similar events.
• Consistency: same measurement/disclosure methods from one period to another.
• Understandability : simple classification tools, clear information headings, juxtaposition of data and
Preparation and presentation
criteria:
•
Materiality:
Qualitative as opposed to
Quantitative materiality
•
Cost of information :
Information is a
costly economic resource.
Measurement and Revaluation
•
Accounting measurement
:
the determination of the amounts at which accounting elements should be recognized – matching.•
Measurable attributes:
fall into two categories: cash equivalent value and historical cost.Issue of Revaluation
•
Revaluation of assets/liabilities :
Measurement at cash equivalents require periodic revaluation of assets liabilities and restricted
investments.
General lay out of Islamic
financial statements :
• Basic classification as of conventional
statements:
stocks and flows.• Balance sheet:
snap shot of stocks at a given point of time – financial position.• Income statement:
moving film; summary of inflow and outflows during a given period of time - accrual basis.Main categories of Islamic
financial statements :
1. Financial statements reflecting the
Islamic Bank’s function as an investor .
2. A financial statement reflecting changes
in restricted investments managed by the
Islamic bank – Mudarib /Agent.
3. Financial statements reflecting the
Islamic Bank’s function as an
investor
– Statement of financial position
– Statement of income.
– Statement of cash flow.
Statement of financial position:
Disclosure:
• Date of the statement
• Grouping of Assets and Liabilities in
accordance of their nature, and in order of
their relative liquidity.
• No
‘current/ fixed’
groupings.
Statement of financial position:
Definitions:
•
Assets:
• an asset is a
measurable
thing capable to
generate cash flows or other economic
benefits in the future, individually or in
combination with other assets.
Statement of financial position:
Definitions:
•
Liabilities:
• A liability is a
measurable
present bank’s
obligation to
another party
to transfer
assets, extend the use of an asset, or
provide services to that party in the future
as a result of past transactions or events.
• Islamic bank’s obligation must not be a
Statement of financial position:
Definitions:
Unrestricted Investments and their
equivalents (Unrest. part. bonds):
• Treated as elements of financial position,
because they are based on unrestricted
Mudarabah.
• Not considered a liability. Why ?
• not considered part of ownership equity
because they do no enjoy ownership
Statement of financial position:
Definitions
•
Owners’ equity:
• It is the amount remaining at the date of
the statement of financial position, from
the Islamic bank’s assets after deducting
the bank’s liabilities, equity of unrestricted
investments and their equivalents
Statement of financial position:
Assets Disclosure :
•
Cash and cash equivalent
•
Receivables ( Murabaha, Salam,
Istisnaa)
•
Investment securities
•
Mudarabah investment
•
Musharakah investment
Statement of financial position:
Cont.
Assets Disclosure:
•
Inventories.
•
Investment in real estate
•
Assets acquired for leasing
•
Other investments (disclosure of their
types)
•
Fixed assets (disclosure of depreciation
for significant asset types )
Statement of financial position:
‘
Liability Side’
•
Liabilities
•
Equity of unrestricted investment
account holders and their equivalents.
Statement of financial position:
Liability Disclosure
• Current accounts, saving accounts and other accounts with separate disclosure of each
category
• Deposits of other banks • Salam Payable
• Istisnaa Payable
• Declared but undistributed profits • Zakah and taxes payable
Statement of financial position:
Unrestricted investment accounts: Disclosure
• Method used to allocate profit/loss
between the bank and unrestricted
investment account holders.
• Assets jointly financed by the Islamic bank
and unrestricted investment account
Income statement :
Definitions/Recognition
• Revenues: Gross increases in assets or decreases in
liabilities, or a combination of both, resulting from
legitimate investment, trading, rendering of services, including investment management of restricted
investment accounts. (exclusions !). • Recognition:
• Bank should have earned the right to receive revenue through a completely consummated process.
• An obligation must fall on another party to a remit a fixed or a determinable amount to the bank .
Income statement :
Definitions/Recognition
• Expenses : The simple reverse of revenues.
• Recognition: Also recognized when realized, either • because the expense relates directly to the earning of
revenues that have been realized, or
Income statement :
Definitions/Recognition
•
Gains (losses ):
A gain is a net increase
in net assets resulting from:
1. Holding assets that appreciate in value during the period covered by the income statement 2. Or from incidental legitimate reciprocal (e.g
sale of assets not acquired for sale)
Income statement :
Definitions/Recognition
•
Gains/losses are
recognized when
realized in one of two possible situations:
1. completion of a reciprocal or non-reciprocal transfer resulting in gain or loss,
1. or sufficient evidence indicating reasonably
Income statement :
Definitions/Recognition
•
Net income (net loss):
• The net increase (decrease) in owners’ equity
• Results from revenues, expenses, gains, losses, after allocating the return on unrestricted
investment accounts and their equivalents, for the period.
Income statement :
Disclosure:
• Period covered by the income statement. • Revenues and gains from investments
• (-)Expenses and losses from investments • (=) Income (loss) from investments
• (-) Share of unrestricted investment account
holders in income (loss) from investments before the bank’s share as Mudarib
Income statement :
con. Disclosure:
• (+)The bank’s share in unrestricted investment income as Mudarib
• (+) The bank’s share in restricted investment profit as Mudarib
• (+)The bank’s fixed fee as an investment agent for restricted investment
• (=/-) Other revenues, expenses, gains and losses • (-) General and administrative expenses
Financial statement for changes
in restricted investments
• Restricted investments are not assets of the Islamic bank and should not be reflected in the bank’s statement of financial position.
• The bank does not have the right to use or
dispose of these investments except within the conditions of the contract between the bank and holders of these accounts.
• The statement must show deposits and
Financial statement for changes
in restricted investments
• Disclosure:
• The period covered by the statement should be disclosed.
• The statement should segregate restricted investments by source of financing ( e.g accounts or portfolio units) and by type.
• Nature of contractual relationship between bank and owners of restricted investments – Mudarib / agent • Rights and obligations associated with each type of
Statement of sources and uses of funds in the Zakah and Charity Fund:
• Zakah: A fixed obligation calculated by reference to net assets that have appreciated or have the capacity to appreciate over a specific period of time except for assets acquired for consumption or used in production.
• For Limited liability Company: Zakah should be based on the company’s net assets, and the total amount be divided between owners.
Statement of sources and uses of funds in the Zakah and Charity Fund:
•
Disclosure
• The period covered by the statement
• Bank’s responsibility for the payment of
Zakah on behalf of owners of unrestricted
investment accounts and their equivalents.
• Payments and uses of funds during the
CONCLUSIONS