INFLATION MYTHS
1. "Inflation erodes companies´ invested capital and profits" - as per the FASB.
Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon – Milton Friedman. Inflation only destroys the real value of money and other monetary items – nothing else. Inflation has no effect on the real value of any non-monetary item.
Historical Cost accountants unknowingly destroy companies´ invested capital and profits with their stable measuring unit assumption. The moment they freely change over from traditional Historical Cost Accounting to financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they have been authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989, they would stop destroying real value in constant items never maintained.
2. "Inflation influences reported results"
The basic accounting model chosen influences reported results. Inflation - per se - can only influence or destroy the real value of monetary items - nothing else. Choose financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units, i.e. Historical Cost Accounting (which includes the stable measuring unit assumption) and you have one result. Choose financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power and you have another (the correct) result. Unfortunately, both options are authorized in IFRS.
3. "Inflation destroys the value of non-monetary items which do not hold their value in terms of purchasing power"
Inflation can only destroy the real value of monetary items - nothing else. Inflation - per se - has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items. It is impossible for inflation - per se - to destroy the real value of non-monetary items.
4. There is no inflation or money is perfectly stable as far as balance sheet constant real value non-monetary items (e.g. shareholders´ equity) are concerned:
I.e. the stable measuring unit assumption or financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (the traditional Historical Cost Accounting model) or, shareholders´ equity can be accounted at Historical Cost.
Inflation only destroys the real value of money and other monetary items. All constant real value non-monetary items expressed in the normal monetary unit of account have to be inflation-adjusted; i.e. accounted in units of constant purchasing power during inflation and deflation in order to maintain their real values constant in all entities that at least break even.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Inflation myths
Inflation myths
1.Inflation erodes companies´ invested capital and profits.
Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon – Milton Friedman. Inflation only destroys the real value of money and other monetary items – nothing else. Inflation has no effect on the real value of any non-monetary item.
Historical Cost accountants unknowingly destroy companies´ invested capital and profits with their stable measuring unit assumption. The moment they freely change over from traditional Historical Cost Accounting to financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they have been authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989, they would stop destroying real value in constant items never maintained.
2. There is no inflation or money is perfectly stable as far as balance sheet constant real value non-monetary items (e.g. shareholders´ equity) are concerned:
I.e. the stable measuring unit assumption or financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (the traditional Historical Cost Accounting model) or, shareholders´ equity can be accounted at Historical Cost.
Inflation only destroys the real value of money and other monetary items. All constant real value non-monetary items expressed in the normal monetary unit of account have to be inflation-adjusted; i.e. accounted in units of constant purchasing power during inflation and deflation in order to maintain their real values constant in all entities that at least break even.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
1.Inflation erodes companies´ invested capital and profits.
Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon – Milton Friedman. Inflation only destroys the real value of money and other monetary items – nothing else. Inflation has no effect on the real value of any non-monetary item.
Historical Cost accountants unknowingly destroy companies´ invested capital and profits with their stable measuring unit assumption. The moment they freely change over from traditional Historical Cost Accounting to financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they have been authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989, they would stop destroying real value in constant items never maintained.
2. There is no inflation or money is perfectly stable as far as balance sheet constant real value non-monetary items (e.g. shareholders´ equity) are concerned:
I.e. the stable measuring unit assumption or financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (the traditional Historical Cost Accounting model) or, shareholders´ equity can be accounted at Historical Cost.
Inflation only destroys the real value of money and other monetary items. All constant real value non-monetary items expressed in the normal monetary unit of account have to be inflation-adjusted; i.e. accounted in units of constant purchasing power during inflation and deflation in order to maintain their real values constant in all entities that at least break even.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Monday, 26 July 2010
Valuing monetary items - Part 2
Valuing monetary items during deflation
Accountants value and account monetary items correctly at their original nominal monetary HC values during the current accounting period during deflation too. There is no other way to do it: see above. Money and monetary items gain in real value during deflation. Monetary items are thus always correctly valued at their current always higher real values during deflation when accountants account them at their original nominal monetary HC values. HC accountants do not calculate net monetary gains or losses during deflation either.
Valuing monetary items during hyperinflation
Accountants value monetary items at their nominal monetary HC values during the current accounting period during hyperinflation too. The real value of money and other monetary items are destroyed at the rate of hyperinflation which can be anything from 100 per cent per annum to 6 million per cent per annum or more as in the case of Zimbabwe recently. HC accountants have to calculate and account net monetary losses and gains during hyperinflation as required by IAS 29 Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies. This is in total contradiction to what is done during low inflation. The IASB admits that the net monetary loss or gain from holding net monetary assets or net monetary liabilities have to be calculated and accounted in the income statement, but, not during low inflation of up to 25% per annum.
Hyperinflation is defined by the IASB as 100% cumulative inflation over three years. That is 26% annual inflation for three years in a row. At 26% annual inflation for three years in a row companies have to calculate and account the cost of hyperinflation and write it off against profit, but, not at 22% or 15% or 6% inflation. At 22% annual inflation for three years or 81.6% cumulative inflation SA would not be in hyperinflation. However, 81.6% of the real value of the Rand, all other monetary items as well as the Retained Profits of 99.99% of SA´s listed and unlisted companies would be wiped out over the short period of three years. SA would not be in hyperinflation and SA accountants would carry on implementing the HCA model.
SA has been going along at 12% average annual inflation or 40% cumulative inflation over three years for at least the last 15 years before 2000 continuously implementing HCA.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Accountants value and account monetary items correctly at their original nominal monetary HC values during the current accounting period during deflation too. There is no other way to do it: see above. Money and monetary items gain in real value during deflation. Monetary items are thus always correctly valued at their current always higher real values during deflation when accountants account them at their original nominal monetary HC values. HC accountants do not calculate net monetary gains or losses during deflation either.
Valuing monetary items during hyperinflation
Accountants value monetary items at their nominal monetary HC values during the current accounting period during hyperinflation too. The real value of money and other monetary items are destroyed at the rate of hyperinflation which can be anything from 100 per cent per annum to 6 million per cent per annum or more as in the case of Zimbabwe recently. HC accountants have to calculate and account net monetary losses and gains during hyperinflation as required by IAS 29 Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies. This is in total contradiction to what is done during low inflation. The IASB admits that the net monetary loss or gain from holding net monetary assets or net monetary liabilities have to be calculated and accounted in the income statement, but, not during low inflation of up to 25% per annum.
Hyperinflation is defined by the IASB as 100% cumulative inflation over three years. That is 26% annual inflation for three years in a row. At 26% annual inflation for three years in a row companies have to calculate and account the cost of hyperinflation and write it off against profit, but, not at 22% or 15% or 6% inflation. At 22% annual inflation for three years or 81.6% cumulative inflation SA would not be in hyperinflation. However, 81.6% of the real value of the Rand, all other monetary items as well as the Retained Profits of 99.99% of SA´s listed and unlisted companies would be wiped out over the short period of three years. SA would not be in hyperinflation and SA accountants would carry on implementing the HCA model.
SA has been going along at 12% average annual inflation or 40% cumulative inflation over three years for at least the last 15 years before 2000 continuously implementing HCA.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Sunday, 25 July 2010
A future converged Conceptual Framework would not necessarily be better.
Comment on IFRS in Perspective blog on AccountingWeb.com
Mr Pounder,
I agree with you that a common Conceptual Framework is essential. However, convergence of the FASB and IASB frameworks as the two Boards have been working on for the last 6 years does not necessarily mean the future converged Conceptual Framework will be better than the two individual ones. It may even be worse.
When a person reads the data available about their joint Conceptual Framework project to date, one notices that discussion of two of the most basic concepts, namely the concepts of capital and capital maintenance concepts (which determine the basic accounting model), do not form part of any of the eight phases of the joint project.
When I enquired about this a month or two ago, Kevin McBeth, the FASB project manager for the Measurement Phase of the joint project stated:
“I cannot speak for the Boards with respect to your query. I can only say that early on in the measurement phase the staff suggested that capital and capital maintenance be discussed in the measurement phase, as it was in the original FASB Conceptual Framework. However, to date the Boards have not taken a decision on where, or even whether, those topics will be included in the converged framework.”
I then put the same question to the US Financial Accounting Standards Board.
Ron Lott, the FASB director who is responsible for the joint FASB-IASB Conceptual Framework project responded by email:
“We are of course familiar with paragraphs 102 – 110 of the IASB Framework as well as paragraphs 45-48 of FASB Concepts Statement 5. Although not labeled as such, capital maintenance ideas have been raised at various points in the discussions of measurement concepts and will continue to be discussed until the board makes decisions about measurement concepts.
We do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance, but the concepts will almost certainly be discussed.”
Kevin McBeth stated the following by email:
“I believe that you may have misunderstood the discussions the FASB and IASB have had about measurement. Those discussions have used examples of various items, some of which you refer to as variable real value non-monetary items. That may have led you to believe that some of your concerns are being ignored. However, the scope of the measurement phase of the Conceptual Framework project does not exclude the items you refer to as constant real value non-monetary items. The Boards are concerned about the effects of selecting measurements on all elements of the financial statements.
Much remains to be done on this project. Although future discussions probably will not use the terminology and classification scheme that you are espousing, there is reason to expect that they will address the items of concern to you.”
As can be seen from the above "we do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance."
Imagine even contemplating leaving capital maintenance out of a common Conceptual Framework!
It has to be noted with alarm that after discussing measurement for the last 6 years on the joint Conceptual Framework project, units of constant purchasing power are not regarded as a candidate for primary measurement basis although the FASB has stated that capital maintenance will continue to be discussed in the future.
The current IASB Framework permits financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation while this is not allowed under US GAAP. A future converged Conceptual Framework that does not authorize financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power will be fundamentally flawed as US GAAP are currently fundamentally flawed as a result of the absence of the only correct accounting model under inflation and deflation.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Mr Pounder,
I agree with you that a common Conceptual Framework is essential. However, convergence of the FASB and IASB frameworks as the two Boards have been working on for the last 6 years does not necessarily mean the future converged Conceptual Framework will be better than the two individual ones. It may even be worse.
When a person reads the data available about their joint Conceptual Framework project to date, one notices that discussion of two of the most basic concepts, namely the concepts of capital and capital maintenance concepts (which determine the basic accounting model), do not form part of any of the eight phases of the joint project.
When I enquired about this a month or two ago, Kevin McBeth, the FASB project manager for the Measurement Phase of the joint project stated:
“I cannot speak for the Boards with respect to your query. I can only say that early on in the measurement phase the staff suggested that capital and capital maintenance be discussed in the measurement phase, as it was in the original FASB Conceptual Framework. However, to date the Boards have not taken a decision on where, or even whether, those topics will be included in the converged framework.”
I then put the same question to the US Financial Accounting Standards Board.
Ron Lott, the FASB director who is responsible for the joint FASB-IASB Conceptual Framework project responded by email:
“We are of course familiar with paragraphs 102 – 110 of the IASB Framework as well as paragraphs 45-48 of FASB Concepts Statement 5. Although not labeled as such, capital maintenance ideas have been raised at various points in the discussions of measurement concepts and will continue to be discussed until the board makes decisions about measurement concepts.
We do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance, but the concepts will almost certainly be discussed.”
Kevin McBeth stated the following by email:
“I believe that you may have misunderstood the discussions the FASB and IASB have had about measurement. Those discussions have used examples of various items, some of which you refer to as variable real value non-monetary items. That may have led you to believe that some of your concerns are being ignored. However, the scope of the measurement phase of the Conceptual Framework project does not exclude the items you refer to as constant real value non-monetary items. The Boards are concerned about the effects of selecting measurements on all elements of the financial statements.
Much remains to be done on this project. Although future discussions probably will not use the terminology and classification scheme that you are espousing, there is reason to expect that they will address the items of concern to you.”
As can be seen from the above "we do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance."
Imagine even contemplating leaving capital maintenance out of a common Conceptual Framework!
It has to be noted with alarm that after discussing measurement for the last 6 years on the joint Conceptual Framework project, units of constant purchasing power are not regarded as a candidate for primary measurement basis although the FASB has stated that capital maintenance will continue to be discussed in the future.
The current IASB Framework permits financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation while this is not allowed under US GAAP. A future converged Conceptual Framework that does not authorize financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power will be fundamentally flawed as US GAAP are currently fundamentally flawed as a result of the absence of the only correct accounting model under inflation and deflation.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Financial Standards are similar to universal units of measure: they need a fundamental constant.
Comment to IFRS in Perspective blog on AccountingWeb.com
Mr Pounder,
Financial standards are really the same as universal units of measure (inch, pound, gram, meter, etc.) because accountants value all items in financial statements. As your Mr Mosso (ex FASB) stated: The balance sheet is a measurement instrument.
No one in any country in the world disagrees that monetary items have to be valued at their original nominal historical cost monetary values during the current financial period. You will not find one person in the world who will disagree with that. Money (the functional currency) is money and it cannot (currently) be updated of inflation- or deflation-adjusted - during the current financial period.
You will find many people and many countries disagreeing about the definition of monetary items. We all have to agree to one single definition of monetary items too.
That goes for all financial standards too.
There are no sovereignity issues with the definition of an inch, a pound, a gram, etc. Not all countries apply the metric system, but, there is a fixed fundamental relationship between different measures for the same concept. That is what should be the case with financial standards too.
In the end any economic item stated in financial statements have one and only one real value.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Mr Pounder,
Financial standards are really the same as universal units of measure (inch, pound, gram, meter, etc.) because accountants value all items in financial statements. As your Mr Mosso (ex FASB) stated: The balance sheet is a measurement instrument.
No one in any country in the world disagrees that monetary items have to be valued at their original nominal historical cost monetary values during the current financial period. You will not find one person in the world who will disagree with that. Money (the functional currency) is money and it cannot (currently) be updated of inflation- or deflation-adjusted - during the current financial period.
You will find many people and many countries disagreeing about the definition of monetary items. We all have to agree to one single definition of monetary items too.
That goes for all financial standards too.
There are no sovereignity issues with the definition of an inch, a pound, a gram, etc. Not all countries apply the metric system, but, there is a fixed fundamental relationship between different measures for the same concept. That is what should be the case with financial standards too.
In the end any economic item stated in financial statements have one and only one real value.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Only IFRS authorize financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power.
Comment to AccountingWeb.Com blog.
Mr Pounder,
You state in your first post:
"In each of my posts, I’ll tell you something about IFRS that’s relevant, that’s reliable, and that you’re unlikely to have read or heard anywhere else."
Here is something about IFRS that is relevant, reliable and that you´re unlikely to have read or heard anywhere else:
US GAAP as stated by the FASB only recognize two forms of capital maintenance as stated in Par 45 to 48 of the FASB Concepts Statement 5, namely
(a) Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units applying the stable measuring unit assumption, i.e. the Historical Cost Accounting model, and
(b) Physical capital maintenance.
IFRS state in the Framework (1989), Par 104 (a)
"Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or units of constant purchasing power."
IFRS thus recognize three concepts of capital maintenance during low inflation and deflation:
1. Physical capital maintenance
2. Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (HCA)
3. Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power (Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting)
Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (as per US GAAP, for example) is a fallacy: it is impossible to maintain the real value of financial capital constant in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation. Implementing traditional HCA (as all US companies do) results in the destruction of hundreds of billions of Dollars PER ANNUM in the real value of constant real value non-monetary items (e.g. shareholders´ equity) never maintain constant as a result of insufficient revaluable fixed assets (revalued or not) under the HCA model.
Financial capital maintenance as authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) twenty one years ago is the only way to stop this unknowing, unnecessary and unintentional destruction by US accountants forever.
US GAAP do not allow financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation.
Do you think the FASB (US companies) should adopt financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power?
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Mr Pounder,
You state in your first post:
"In each of my posts, I’ll tell you something about IFRS that’s relevant, that’s reliable, and that you’re unlikely to have read or heard anywhere else."
Here is something about IFRS that is relevant, reliable and that you´re unlikely to have read or heard anywhere else:
US GAAP as stated by the FASB only recognize two forms of capital maintenance as stated in Par 45 to 48 of the FASB Concepts Statement 5, namely
(a) Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units applying the stable measuring unit assumption, i.e. the Historical Cost Accounting model, and
(b) Physical capital maintenance.
IFRS state in the Framework (1989), Par 104 (a)
"Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or units of constant purchasing power."
IFRS thus recognize three concepts of capital maintenance during low inflation and deflation:
1. Physical capital maintenance
2. Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (HCA)
3. Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power (Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting)
Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (as per US GAAP, for example) is a fallacy: it is impossible to maintain the real value of financial capital constant in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation. Implementing traditional HCA (as all US companies do) results in the destruction of hundreds of billions of Dollars PER ANNUM in the real value of constant real value non-monetary items (e.g. shareholders´ equity) never maintain constant as a result of insufficient revaluable fixed assets (revalued or not) under the HCA model.
Financial capital maintenance as authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) twenty one years ago is the only way to stop this unknowing, unnecessary and unintentional destruction by US accountants forever.
US GAAP do not allow financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation.
Do you think the FASB (US companies) should adopt financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power?
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Friday, 23 July 2010
Valuing monetary items
Measurement of Monetary Items in the Financial Statements
Measurement is the process of determining the monetary amounts at which monetary items are to be recognised and carried in the financial reports. This involves the selection of the particular basis of measurement. The original nominal values of monetary items can only be measured in nominal monetary units during the current accounting period.
During low inflation
The real value of money and other monetary items can not be updated or indexed or inflation-adjusted or maintained during the current financial period under any accounting or economic model during low inflation. Inflation destroys the real value of money and other monetary items evenly throughout the SA monetary economy currently at 4.6% per annum (May 2010) or about R120 billion per annum. Money and other monetary items only maintain their real values perfectly stable under permanently sustainable zero per cent annual inflation. This has never been achieved over an extended period of time of more than a month or two.
"The South African Reserve Bank conducts monetary policy within an inflation targeting framework. The current target is for CPI inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis." SARB
The SARB´s definition of price stability, in practice, is the destruction of the real value of the Rand at a rate of 6% or about R120 billion per annum because inflation normally rises to the top of the inflation targeting range. Real value is destroyed evenly in Rand bank notes and coins and other monetary items (loans, deposits, etc) throughout the SA monetary economy.
SA accountants value monetary items at their original nominal values – at their nominal historical cost – during the current financial period. It thus appears that it is correct when someone states that “financial reporting simply reports on what took place”. That is mistaken. Accountants value everything they account. There is no other way monetary items can be accounted and valued during the current financial period. It is an illusion that accountants only record what happened in the past: the “financial-reporting-simply-reports-on-what-took-place”-illusion as promoted by accounting professors.
SA accountants value monetary items at their current depreciated generally lower real values by accounting them during the current accounting period at their original nominal HC values during inflation. Their real values are destroyed by inflation over time. Being stated at their original nominal HC monetary values by accountants during inflation means that monetary items are automatically being valued by the continuous economic process of inflation over time.
This obviously means that monetary items are always correctly valued during the current financial period in any current account: at the current real value as determined by the current rate of inflation. In practice, money and other monetary items´ real values consequently generally decrease once per month – on the date the new CPI value is published by the statistics authorities – to a lower real value in low inflationary economies.
SA accountants do not destroy the about R120 billion in real value of the Rand and other monetary items in the SA monetary economy each year: 4.6% inflation does that. SA accountants value and account monetary items correctly in the SA monetary economy by stating them at their original nominal monetary HC values. They, however, fail to calculate and account the net monetary gains and losses from holding either net monetary liabilities or net monetary assets, as the case may be. This is a generally accepted accounting practice under HCA.
The only difference between accounting and valuing monetary items under the current HCA model and their accounting and valuation when measuring financial capital maintenance in real value maintaining units of constant purchasing power would be the calculation and accounting of net monetary gains and losses. These net monetary gains and losses are required by the IASB to be calculated and accounted in terms of IAS 29 during hyperinflation. These net monetary gains and losses are not calculated and accounted under the HCA model although it can be done. See Kapnick. No-one does that under HCA. Net monetary gains and losses are constant real value non-monetary items (income statement gains and losses) once they are accounted and have to be inflation-adjusted – measured in units of constant purchasing power - thereafter under the financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power model or Constant ITEM Purchasing Power Accounting model as authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989 as well as in terms of IAS 29 during hyperinflation.
Side note: The FASB and IASB have been working on their joint Conceptual Framework project for the last 6 years. However, they have not stated one word about valuing monetary items - or items like shareholders equity. It is called the Historical Cost mentalité - like there used to be the gold standard mentalité.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Measurement is the process of determining the monetary amounts at which monetary items are to be recognised and carried in the financial reports. This involves the selection of the particular basis of measurement. The original nominal values of monetary items can only be measured in nominal monetary units during the current accounting period.
During low inflation
The real value of money and other monetary items can not be updated or indexed or inflation-adjusted or maintained during the current financial period under any accounting or economic model during low inflation. Inflation destroys the real value of money and other monetary items evenly throughout the SA monetary economy currently at 4.6% per annum (May 2010) or about R120 billion per annum. Money and other monetary items only maintain their real values perfectly stable under permanently sustainable zero per cent annual inflation. This has never been achieved over an extended period of time of more than a month or two.
"The South African Reserve Bank conducts monetary policy within an inflation targeting framework. The current target is for CPI inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis." SARB
The SARB´s definition of price stability, in practice, is the destruction of the real value of the Rand at a rate of 6% or about R120 billion per annum because inflation normally rises to the top of the inflation targeting range. Real value is destroyed evenly in Rand bank notes and coins and other monetary items (loans, deposits, etc) throughout the SA monetary economy.
SA accountants value monetary items at their original nominal values – at their nominal historical cost – during the current financial period. It thus appears that it is correct when someone states that “financial reporting simply reports on what took place”. That is mistaken. Accountants value everything they account. There is no other way monetary items can be accounted and valued during the current financial period. It is an illusion that accountants only record what happened in the past: the “financial-reporting-simply-reports-on-what-took-place”-illusion as promoted by accounting professors.
SA accountants value monetary items at their current depreciated generally lower real values by accounting them during the current accounting period at their original nominal HC values during inflation. Their real values are destroyed by inflation over time. Being stated at their original nominal HC monetary values by accountants during inflation means that monetary items are automatically being valued by the continuous economic process of inflation over time.
This obviously means that monetary items are always correctly valued during the current financial period in any current account: at the current real value as determined by the current rate of inflation. In practice, money and other monetary items´ real values consequently generally decrease once per month – on the date the new CPI value is published by the statistics authorities – to a lower real value in low inflationary economies.
SA accountants do not destroy the about R120 billion in real value of the Rand and other monetary items in the SA monetary economy each year: 4.6% inflation does that. SA accountants value and account monetary items correctly in the SA monetary economy by stating them at their original nominal monetary HC values. They, however, fail to calculate and account the net monetary gains and losses from holding either net monetary liabilities or net monetary assets, as the case may be. This is a generally accepted accounting practice under HCA.
The only difference between accounting and valuing monetary items under the current HCA model and their accounting and valuation when measuring financial capital maintenance in real value maintaining units of constant purchasing power would be the calculation and accounting of net monetary gains and losses. These net monetary gains and losses are required by the IASB to be calculated and accounted in terms of IAS 29 during hyperinflation. These net monetary gains and losses are not calculated and accounted under the HCA model although it can be done. See Kapnick. No-one does that under HCA. Net monetary gains and losses are constant real value non-monetary items (income statement gains and losses) once they are accounted and have to be inflation-adjusted – measured in units of constant purchasing power - thereafter under the financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power model or Constant ITEM Purchasing Power Accounting model as authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989 as well as in terms of IAS 29 during hyperinflation.
Side note: The FASB and IASB have been working on their joint Conceptual Framework project for the last 6 years. However, they have not stated one word about valuing monetary items - or items like shareholders equity. It is called the Historical Cost mentalité - like there used to be the gold standard mentalité.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Unit of account
Inflation destroys the assumption that money is stable which is the basis of classic accountancy. In such circumstances, historical values registered in accountancy books become heterogeneous amounts measured in different units. The use of such data under traditional accounting methods without previous correction makes no sense and leads to results that are void of meaning.
Massone, 1981a. p.6
Money’s third function is that it is the unit of account in the economy. It is a monetary standard of measure of the real value of economic items to facilitate exchange without barter in order to overcome the double coincidence of wants problem. Inflation destroys the real value of money and deflation increases the real value of money. Money has never been perfectly stable in real value over an extended period of time. However, money illusion makes people believe that money maintains its real value over the short to medium term. Money is the only standard unit of measure that is not a fundamentally stable or fixed unit of value. All other standards of measure are perfectly stable units.
Accountants transformed money illusion into an official generally accepted accounting principle with their stable measuring unit assumption, also called the Measuring Unit Principle.
The unit of measure in accounting shall be the base money unit of the most relevant currency. This principle also assumes the unit of measure is stable; that is, changes in its general purchasing power are not considered sufficiently important to require adjustments to the basic financial reports.
Paul H. Walgenbach, Norman E. Dittrich and Ernest I. Hanson, (1973), Financial Accounting, New York: Harcourt Brace Javonovich, Inc. Page 429.
The stable measuring unit assumption is based on the fallacy that changes in the general purchasing power are not sufficiently important to require adjustments to the basic financial reports; i.e. not sufficiently important for accountants to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during inflation and deflation.
In a low inflationary economy depreciating money is used as a depreciating monetary unit of account to value and record economic activity. It is very tempting to state that it is very clear that you can not have a unit of account that is not stable – as in fixed – in real value for accounting purposes. However, we have been doing exactly that for the last 700 years. The problem stems from the difficulty in defining a universal unit of real value.
Luckily there is a perfect way of eliminating completely the destructive effect of having a depreciating monetary unit of account during inflation as well as its increasing monetary real value effect during deflation in constant real value non-monetary items in an economy implementing the basic double entry accounting model. I am not referring to the HCA model, but, simply the double entry accounting model. It is the measurement of constant item values in units of constant purchasing power by inflation-adjusting their nominal values in terms of the change in the CPI as authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989. Unfortunately this is currently only used in hyperinflationary economies and with the valuation of certain income statement items, e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, etc during low inflation. SA accountants in general (do not understand the real value maintaining function (effect) of measuring financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as it relates to balance sheet constant items never maintained. If they understood it, they would not continue with their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption – as they are doing right now – and unknowingly destroy about R200 billion per annum of real value in the SA constant item economy.
They do understand it as far as salaries, wages, rentals, etc are concerned. But, not as far as balance sheet constant items never maintained are concerned.
Inflation is the real problem or enemy - as everyone knows - with depreciating money since real value is the most fundamental economic concept in any economy under any economic model including the Historical Cost Accounting model and not money as is generally accepted under the mistaken belief (money illusion) or assumption (stable measuring unit assumption) that money is stable in real value. The combination of the stable measuring unit assumption (HCA) with inflation elevates money’s function as depreciating unit of account to one of critical importance. SA accountants´ implementation of this very destructive assumption in SA´s low inflationary economy is the second unknown and hidden real value destruction process or enemy whereby they unknowingly destroy significant amounts of real value in the real economy each and every year.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Massone, 1981a. p.6
Money’s third function is that it is the unit of account in the economy. It is a monetary standard of measure of the real value of economic items to facilitate exchange without barter in order to overcome the double coincidence of wants problem. Inflation destroys the real value of money and deflation increases the real value of money. Money has never been perfectly stable in real value over an extended period of time. However, money illusion makes people believe that money maintains its real value over the short to medium term. Money is the only standard unit of measure that is not a fundamentally stable or fixed unit of value. All other standards of measure are perfectly stable units.
Accountants transformed money illusion into an official generally accepted accounting principle with their stable measuring unit assumption, also called the Measuring Unit Principle.
The unit of measure in accounting shall be the base money unit of the most relevant currency. This principle also assumes the unit of measure is stable; that is, changes in its general purchasing power are not considered sufficiently important to require adjustments to the basic financial reports.
Paul H. Walgenbach, Norman E. Dittrich and Ernest I. Hanson, (1973), Financial Accounting, New York: Harcourt Brace Javonovich, Inc. Page 429.
The stable measuring unit assumption is based on the fallacy that changes in the general purchasing power are not sufficiently important to require adjustments to the basic financial reports; i.e. not sufficiently important for accountants to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during inflation and deflation.
In a low inflationary economy depreciating money is used as a depreciating monetary unit of account to value and record economic activity. It is very tempting to state that it is very clear that you can not have a unit of account that is not stable – as in fixed – in real value for accounting purposes. However, we have been doing exactly that for the last 700 years. The problem stems from the difficulty in defining a universal unit of real value.
Luckily there is a perfect way of eliminating completely the destructive effect of having a depreciating monetary unit of account during inflation as well as its increasing monetary real value effect during deflation in constant real value non-monetary items in an economy implementing the basic double entry accounting model. I am not referring to the HCA model, but, simply the double entry accounting model. It is the measurement of constant item values in units of constant purchasing power by inflation-adjusting their nominal values in terms of the change in the CPI as authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989. Unfortunately this is currently only used in hyperinflationary economies and with the valuation of certain income statement items, e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, etc during low inflation. SA accountants in general (do not understand the real value maintaining function (effect) of measuring financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as it relates to balance sheet constant items never maintained. If they understood it, they would not continue with their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption – as they are doing right now – and unknowingly destroy about R200 billion per annum of real value in the SA constant item economy.
They do understand it as far as salaries, wages, rentals, etc are concerned. But, not as far as balance sheet constant items never maintained are concerned.
Inflation is the real problem or enemy - as everyone knows - with depreciating money since real value is the most fundamental economic concept in any economy under any economic model including the Historical Cost Accounting model and not money as is generally accepted under the mistaken belief (money illusion) or assumption (stable measuring unit assumption) that money is stable in real value. The combination of the stable measuring unit assumption (HCA) with inflation elevates money’s function as depreciating unit of account to one of critical importance. SA accountants´ implementation of this very destructive assumption in SA´s low inflationary economy is the second unknown and hidden real value destruction process or enemy whereby they unknowingly destroy significant amounts of real value in the real economy each and every year.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Money is a store of value
Money is a depreciating store of value during inflation and an appreciating store of value during deflation.
Money has to maintain most of its value over time in order to be accepted as a medium of exchange. It would not solve barter’s double coincidence of wants problem if it could not be stored over time and still remain valuable in exchange.
The fact that inflation is destroying the real value of money means it is a store of depreciating real value during inflation. Money was a store of value right from the start. First types of money consisted of gold or silver coins. The metals from which the coins were made had an actual real value in themselves and these coins could be melted down and the metal could be sold in its bullion form when the bullion price was above the coin price. Next money was not made of precious metal coins but money consisted of bank notes, the real values of which were fully backed by gold reserves. Today depreciating money simply represents depreciating real value since depreciating bank notes and bank coins have no intrinsic value. Although the store of value function and nominal values of depreciating bank notes and bank coins are legally defined, their depreciating real values are determined by the economic process of inflation or deflation.
The abuse of money’s store of value function led to inflation.
Money is very liquid; i.e. it is readily available as cash and it is normally easy to obtain on demand in most economies. A property, e.g. a well-located plot of land with a well-maintained and well-equipped building is also a store of value. It is however quite an illiquid store of value. The real value is not immediately available in easily transportable and divisible cash. Money’s high liquidity makes it more desirable as a store of value in comparison with other stores of value like gold, property, marketable securities, bonds, etc. Money is obviously not the best store of value in an inflationary economy where its real value is being destroyed by inflation. Money is normally available in convenient smaller denominations which facilitate everyday small purchases. As such, money is very user friendly. It is easily transportable especially with electronic transfer facilities.
Inflation actually manifests itself in money’s store of value function since inflation always and everywhere destroys the real value of money. Inflation does not manifest itself in money’s medium of exchange function or unit of account function which vindicates the fact that inflation can only destroy the real value of money and monetary items; i.e. inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items. Money is always a medium of exchange of equal real value at the moment of exchange. Free market prices are adjusted in the market in a price setting process that takes the decreasing real value of money into account (amongst many other factors) so that economic items (the product or service and the amount of money) of equal real value are exchanged at the moment of exchange.
Depreciating money has a constantly decreasing real value. Depreciating “bank money” deposits have the same attributes of depreciating money with the single exception that they are not physical depreciating bank notes and bank coins but accounted depreciating monetary values. The depreciating money represented by depreciating bank money also has a depreciating store of value function.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Money has to maintain most of its value over time in order to be accepted as a medium of exchange. It would not solve barter’s double coincidence of wants problem if it could not be stored over time and still remain valuable in exchange.
The fact that inflation is destroying the real value of money means it is a store of depreciating real value during inflation. Money was a store of value right from the start. First types of money consisted of gold or silver coins. The metals from which the coins were made had an actual real value in themselves and these coins could be melted down and the metal could be sold in its bullion form when the bullion price was above the coin price. Next money was not made of precious metal coins but money consisted of bank notes, the real values of which were fully backed by gold reserves. Today depreciating money simply represents depreciating real value since depreciating bank notes and bank coins have no intrinsic value. Although the store of value function and nominal values of depreciating bank notes and bank coins are legally defined, their depreciating real values are determined by the economic process of inflation or deflation.
The abuse of money’s store of value function led to inflation.
Money is very liquid; i.e. it is readily available as cash and it is normally easy to obtain on demand in most economies. A property, e.g. a well-located plot of land with a well-maintained and well-equipped building is also a store of value. It is however quite an illiquid store of value. The real value is not immediately available in easily transportable and divisible cash. Money’s high liquidity makes it more desirable as a store of value in comparison with other stores of value like gold, property, marketable securities, bonds, etc. Money is obviously not the best store of value in an inflationary economy where its real value is being destroyed by inflation. Money is normally available in convenient smaller denominations which facilitate everyday small purchases. As such, money is very user friendly. It is easily transportable especially with electronic transfer facilities.
Inflation actually manifests itself in money’s store of value function since inflation always and everywhere destroys the real value of money. Inflation does not manifest itself in money’s medium of exchange function or unit of account function which vindicates the fact that inflation can only destroy the real value of money and monetary items; i.e. inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items. Money is always a medium of exchange of equal real value at the moment of exchange. Free market prices are adjusted in the market in a price setting process that takes the decreasing real value of money into account (amongst many other factors) so that economic items (the product or service and the amount of money) of equal real value are exchanged at the moment of exchange.
Depreciating money has a constantly decreasing real value. Depreciating “bank money” deposits have the same attributes of depreciating money with the single exception that they are not physical depreciating bank notes and bank coins but accounted depreciating monetary values. The depreciating money represented by depreciating bank money also has a depreciating store of value function.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Functions of money
Money performs the following three functions:
1.Medium of exchange
2.Store of value
3.Unit of account
1. Medium of Exchange
Money has the basic function that it is a medium of exchange of equivalent real values at the moment of exchange. It overcomes the inconveniences of a barter economy where there must be a double coincidence of wants before a trade can take place. For a trade to take place in a barter economy one person must want exactly what the other person has to offer, at the exact time and place where it is offered.
In a monetary economy the real value of goods and services are measured in terms of money, the monetary medium of exchange, which is generally accepted to buy any other good or service. Without this function or attribute the invention cannot be money.
We use payment with money instead of barter to exchange real values in our economies in the transactions we enter into when we buy and sell goods, services, ideas, rights and any kind of property whether physical, virtual or intellectual. Money is the lifeblood of an economy even though it is continuously changing in real value. Without money the creation and exchange of real value in an economy would be severely restricted, as it would become a barter economy.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
1.Medium of exchange
2.Store of value
3.Unit of account
1. Medium of Exchange
Money has the basic function that it is a medium of exchange of equivalent real values at the moment of exchange. It overcomes the inconveniences of a barter economy where there must be a double coincidence of wants before a trade can take place. For a trade to take place in a barter economy one person must want exactly what the other person has to offer, at the exact time and place where it is offered.
In a monetary economy the real value of goods and services are measured in terms of money, the monetary medium of exchange, which is generally accepted to buy any other good or service. Without this function or attribute the invention cannot be money.
We use payment with money instead of barter to exchange real values in our economies in the transactions we enter into when we buy and sell goods, services, ideas, rights and any kind of property whether physical, virtual or intellectual. Money is the lifeblood of an economy even though it is continuously changing in real value. Without money the creation and exchange of real value in an economy would be severely restricted, as it would become a barter economy.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Monday, 19 July 2010
CPI + CIPPA = Zero destruction
The significant destruction of the real value of SA companies´ and banks´ retained profits never maintained constant, unknowingly done by SA accountants implementing their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation would have been impossible to stop without the Consumer Price Index. The CPI and financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power [Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting or CIPPA] make it easy to fix the problem and to stop our accountants destroying about R167 billion each and every year in the SA real economy.
When our accountants freely start measuring financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as the IASB-authorized them to do 21 years ago in the Framework, Par 104 (a), then they will maintain all constant items generally never maintained in the SA economy for an unlimited period of time by updating them in terms of the change in the CPI instead of destroying their real values at a rate equal to the inflation rate as they are unknowingly doing right now. They would do that even in companies with no fixed assets at all. The "equivalent revaluable fixed assets requirement" is only applicable with the stable measuring unit assumption.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
When our accountants freely start measuring financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as the IASB-authorized them to do 21 years ago in the Framework, Par 104 (a), then they will maintain all constant items generally never maintained in the SA economy for an unlimited period of time by updating them in terms of the change in the CPI instead of destroying their real values at a rate equal to the inflation rate as they are unknowingly doing right now. They would do that even in companies with no fixed assets at all. The "equivalent revaluable fixed assets requirement" is only applicable with the stable measuring unit assumption.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Friday, 16 July 2010
Sine qua non
There is no CPI in a barter economy as there is no money in such an economy. The CPI is essential to update or index or inflation-adjust the real value of constant items in the economy with continuous measurement of financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power being used as the fundamental model of accounting. The CPI is used to calculate the destruction of real value in constant items never maintained in low inflationary economies using HCA as the fundamental model of accounting.
The real value of money is automatically updated by inflation and deflation. Whereas the price of a constant item should change inversely with the change in the real value of money, the real value of money changes inversely with the change in the level of the CPI.
The CPI is the sine qua non in an inflationary and deflationary economy for correcting the problem created by the fact that money is the only universal unit of account that is not a stable unit of measure: it is applied without a fundamental constant. It would be impossible to measure inflation and deflation without the CPI. Consequently it would also have been impossible to stop the destruction of the real value in constant real value non-monetary items never maintained (generally equity of companies using HCA with no fixed assets or not sufficient revaluable fixed assets to maintain equity’s real value) during low inflation.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
The real value of money is automatically updated by inflation and deflation. Whereas the price of a constant item should change inversely with the change in the real value of money, the real value of money changes inversely with the change in the level of the CPI.
The CPI is the sine qua non in an inflationary and deflationary economy for correcting the problem created by the fact that money is the only universal unit of account that is not a stable unit of measure: it is applied without a fundamental constant. It would be impossible to measure inflation and deflation without the CPI. Consequently it would also have been impossible to stop the destruction of the real value in constant real value non-monetary items never maintained (generally equity of companies using HCA with no fixed assets or not sufficient revaluable fixed assets to maintain equity’s real value) during low inflation.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Units of constant purchasing power
We use the change in the CPI as a measure to calculate the destruction of real value in monetary items (which cannot be indexed) and constant items never maintained (thus being treated as monetary items) over time in an inflationary economy implementing the Historical Cost Accounting model as all companies in SA do. We also use the change in the CPI as a measure to calculate the creation of real value in monetary items (never indexed) and constant items never maintained (never decreased) over time in a deflationary economy that uses the HCA model – as all companies in Japan do.
The CPI can be used to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power and thus index (adjust nominal values for inflation’s destruction of or deflation´s increase in the real value of money which is the monetary unit of account) wages, salaries, pensions, all income statement items, issued share capital, retained profits, capital reserves, other shareholders´ equity items, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable and all other balance sheet constant items.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
The CPI can be used to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power and thus index (adjust nominal values for inflation’s destruction of or deflation´s increase in the real value of money which is the monetary unit of account) wages, salaries, pensions, all income statement items, issued share capital, retained profits, capital reserves, other shareholders´ equity items, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable and all other balance sheet constant items.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Consumer Price Index
“The consumer price index was first used in 1707. In 1925 it became institutionalized when the Second International Conference of Labour Statisticians, convened by the International Labour Organization, promulgated the first international standards of measurement.”
Agrekon, Vol 43, No 2 (June 2004), Vink, Kirsten and Woermann.
The CPI is a non-monetary index number measuring changes in the weighted average of prices quoted in the functional currency of a typical basket of consumer goods and services. The per cent change in the CPI is used to measure inflation. It is a price index determined by measuring the price of a standard group of goods and services representing a typical market basket of a typical urban consumer. It measures the change in average price for a constant market basket of goods and services from one period to the next within the same area (city, region, or nation). It can be used to measure changes in the cost of living. It is a measure estimating the average price of consumer goods and services purchased by a typical urban household.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Agrekon, Vol 43, No 2 (June 2004), Vink, Kirsten and Woermann.
The CPI is a non-monetary index number measuring changes in the weighted average of prices quoted in the functional currency of a typical basket of consumer goods and services. The per cent change in the CPI is used to measure inflation. It is a price index determined by measuring the price of a standard group of goods and services representing a typical market basket of a typical urban consumer. It measures the change in average price for a constant market basket of goods and services from one period to the next within the same area (city, region, or nation). It can be used to measure changes in the cost of living. It is a measure estimating the average price of consumer goods and services purchased by a typical urban household.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Friday, 9 July 2010
Gold is something without intrinsic value
Hi,
Who said that?
Not me.
"Willem Buiter, a former professor at the London School of Economics who is now the chief economist of Citigroup, has called gold the subject of “the longest-lasting bubble in human history”. He says that he would not invest more than a sliver of his wealth “into something without intrinsic value, something whose positive value is based on nothing more than a set of self-confirming beliefs.”"
People often google for the "real value of money" and then visit this blog.
There are so many people who lament the fact that fiat money has no intrinsic value. They all call for going back to the gold standard.
Meanwhile, gold is also something without intrinsic value according to the chief economist of Citigroup and former professor at the London School of Economics.
Oh, what a wonderful place the market is. Without so many different view points, there would be no market at all. For every buyer there is a ..... yes, you guessed it right, a seller!!
So then, what is real value if neither gold nor fiat money has any intrinsic value?
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Who said that?
Not me.
"Willem Buiter, a former professor at the London School of Economics who is now the chief economist of Citigroup, has called gold the subject of “the longest-lasting bubble in human history”. He says that he would not invest more than a sliver of his wealth “into something without intrinsic value, something whose positive value is based on nothing more than a set of self-confirming beliefs.”"
People often google for the "real value of money" and then visit this blog.
There are so many people who lament the fact that fiat money has no intrinsic value. They all call for going back to the gold standard.
Meanwhile, gold is also something without intrinsic value according to the chief economist of Citigroup and former professor at the London School of Economics.
Oh, what a wonderful place the market is. Without so many different view points, there would be no market at all. For every buyer there is a ..... yes, you guessed it right, a seller!!
So then, what is real value if neither gold nor fiat money has any intrinsic value?
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
What backs money?
Our money today has no intrinsic value in itself. It is fiat money that is created by government fiat or decree. The government declares fiat money to be legal tender. In the past monetary coins were made of, for example, silver or gold which were valuable in themselves. The actual metal of which the coin was made had a real or intrinsic value supposedly equivalent to the nominal value inscribed on the coin. Today fiat money is a government decreed and legally recognized medium of exchange, unit of account and store of value in the economy.
Our money today has no intrinsic value as it is the natural product of the development of the concept of money through time. In the beginning a monetary unit was a full value metal coin. Later it was not a full value metal coin but it was the next best thing as far as economic agents were concerned: it was 100 per cent backed by gold. Today it has no intrinsic value and it is not backed by gold but is backed by the combined macroeconomic real value of all the underlying value systems in a particular economy or monetary union.
These underlying value systems include, but, are not limited to sound governance, a sound economic system, a sound manufacturing system, a sound industrial system, a sound monetary system, a sound political system, a sound social system, a sound educational system, a sound defence system, a sound health system, a sound security system, a sound legal system, a sound accounting system and so on, to name but a few.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Our money today has no intrinsic value as it is the natural product of the development of the concept of money through time. In the beginning a monetary unit was a full value metal coin. Later it was not a full value metal coin but it was the next best thing as far as economic agents were concerned: it was 100 per cent backed by gold. Today it has no intrinsic value and it is not backed by gold but is backed by the combined macroeconomic real value of all the underlying value systems in a particular economy or monetary union.
These underlying value systems include, but, are not limited to sound governance, a sound economic system, a sound manufacturing system, a sound industrial system, a sound monetary system, a sound political system, a sound social system, a sound educational system, a sound defence system, a sound health system, a sound security system, a sound legal system, a sound accounting system and so on, to name but a few.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
The FASB and IASB do not agree on capital maintenance
The FASB defines capital maintenance in its Concepts Statement No 5, Paragraphs 45 to 48.
According to the FASB there are only two concepts of capital
1.Financial capital
2.Physical capital
and consequently two concepts of capital maintenance
i Financial capital maintenance
ii Physical capital maintenance
The IASB states the same, but, defines THREE concepts of capital and THREE concepts of capital maintenance.
The IASB´s Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance are defined in the Framework, paragraphs 102 to 110.
The IASB states virtually the same as the FASB above. However, in Paragraph 104 (a) the IASB went one step further and stated twenty one years ago:
“Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or units of constant purchasing power.”
There is no mention of units of constant purchasing power in the FASB´s definition of financial capital maintenance.
The three concepts of capital defined in IFRS during low inflation and deflation are:
(A) Physical capital. See par. 102.
(B) Nominal financial capital. See par. 104 (a).
(C) Constant purchasing power financial capital. See par. 104 (a).
The three concepts of capital maintenance authorized in IFRS during low inflation and deflation are:
(1) Physical capital maintenance: optional during low inflation and deflation. Current Cost Accounting model prescribed by IFRS. See Par 106.
(2) Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (Historical cost accounting): authorized by IFRS but not prescribed—optional during low inflation and deflation. See Par 104 (a). Unfortunately, financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation is a fallacy: it is impossible to maintain the real value of financial capital constant with measurement in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation. This fallacy did not and does not stop all companies and entities to use Historical Cost Accounting as the generally accepted tradition basic accounting model for the last 700 years. Historical cost accountants overcame this fallacy by simply assuming that the unit of account (money) is perfectly stable as far as the measurement of most constant real value non-monetary items (shareholders equity, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc) is concerned. They do however admit that the unit of account is not stable only in the case of certain income statement items: e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, etc. They inflation-adjust these items annually.
(3) Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power: i.e. Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting (CIPPA) authorized in IFRS but not prescribed—optional during low inflation and deflation. See the Framework, Par 104 (a). Only constant items are measured in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation. Net monetary gains and losses have to be accounted.
Prescribed in IAS 29 during hyperinflation; i.e. Constant Purchasing Power Accounting (CPPA): all non-monetary items – constant real value non-monetary items as well as variable real value non-monetary items – have to be measured in units of constant purchasing power during hyperinflation. Net monetary gains and losses have to be accounted.
Only financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power [Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting (CIPPA) during low inflation and deflation and Constant Purchasing Power Accounting (CPPA) during hyperinflation] per se can maintain the real value of financial capital constant during inflation and deflation in all entities that at least break even—ceteris paribus—for an indefinite period of time. This would happen whether these entities own revaluable fixed assets or not and without the requirement of more capital or additional retained profits to simply maintain the existing constant real value of existing shareholders´ equity constant.
There is thus a major difference between the FASB´s and the IASB´s definitions of the concepts of capital and the concepts of capital maintenance. It is their stated objective to converge their two Frameworks.
However, after working six years on their joint Conceptual Framework project, Kevin McBeth, the FASB Project Manager for the Measurement Phase stated:
“To date the Boards have not taken a decision on where, or even whether, those topics” (the concepts of capital and capital maintenance) “will be included in the converged framework."
The FASB afterwards clarified the matter as follows:
“We are of course familiar with paragraphs 102 – 110 of the IASB Framework as well as paragraphs 45-48 of FASB Concepts Statement 5. Although not labeled as such, capital maintenance ideas have been raised at various points in the discussions of measurement concepts and will continue to be discussed until the board makes decisions about measurement concepts. We do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance, but the concepts will almost certainly be discussed.”
This is after 6 years on the Project.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
According to the FASB there are only two concepts of capital
1.Financial capital
2.Physical capital
and consequently two concepts of capital maintenance
i Financial capital maintenance
ii Physical capital maintenance
The IASB states the same, but, defines THREE concepts of capital and THREE concepts of capital maintenance.
The IASB´s Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance are defined in the Framework, paragraphs 102 to 110.
The IASB states virtually the same as the FASB above. However, in Paragraph 104 (a) the IASB went one step further and stated twenty one years ago:
“Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or units of constant purchasing power.”
There is no mention of units of constant purchasing power in the FASB´s definition of financial capital maintenance.
The three concepts of capital defined in IFRS during low inflation and deflation are:
(A) Physical capital. See par. 102.
(B) Nominal financial capital. See par. 104 (a).
(C) Constant purchasing power financial capital. See par. 104 (a).
The three concepts of capital maintenance authorized in IFRS during low inflation and deflation are:
(1) Physical capital maintenance: optional during low inflation and deflation. Current Cost Accounting model prescribed by IFRS. See Par 106.
(2) Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (Historical cost accounting): authorized by IFRS but not prescribed—optional during low inflation and deflation. See Par 104 (a). Unfortunately, financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation is a fallacy: it is impossible to maintain the real value of financial capital constant with measurement in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation. This fallacy did not and does not stop all companies and entities to use Historical Cost Accounting as the generally accepted tradition basic accounting model for the last 700 years. Historical cost accountants overcame this fallacy by simply assuming that the unit of account (money) is perfectly stable as far as the measurement of most constant real value non-monetary items (shareholders equity, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc) is concerned. They do however admit that the unit of account is not stable only in the case of certain income statement items: e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, etc. They inflation-adjust these items annually.
(3) Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power: i.e. Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting (CIPPA) authorized in IFRS but not prescribed—optional during low inflation and deflation. See the Framework, Par 104 (a). Only constant items are measured in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation. Net monetary gains and losses have to be accounted.
Prescribed in IAS 29 during hyperinflation; i.e. Constant Purchasing Power Accounting (CPPA): all non-monetary items – constant real value non-monetary items as well as variable real value non-monetary items – have to be measured in units of constant purchasing power during hyperinflation. Net monetary gains and losses have to be accounted.
Only financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power [Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting (CIPPA) during low inflation and deflation and Constant Purchasing Power Accounting (CPPA) during hyperinflation] per se can maintain the real value of financial capital constant during inflation and deflation in all entities that at least break even—ceteris paribus—for an indefinite period of time. This would happen whether these entities own revaluable fixed assets or not and without the requirement of more capital or additional retained profits to simply maintain the existing constant real value of existing shareholders´ equity constant.
There is thus a major difference between the FASB´s and the IASB´s definitions of the concepts of capital and the concepts of capital maintenance. It is their stated objective to converge their two Frameworks.
However, after working six years on their joint Conceptual Framework project, Kevin McBeth, the FASB Project Manager for the Measurement Phase stated:
“To date the Boards have not taken a decision on where, or even whether, those topics” (the concepts of capital and capital maintenance) “will be included in the converged framework."
The FASB afterwards clarified the matter as follows:
“We are of course familiar with paragraphs 102 – 110 of the IASB Framework as well as paragraphs 45-48 of FASB Concepts Statement 5. Although not labeled as such, capital maintenance ideas have been raised at various points in the discussions of measurement concepts and will continue to be discussed until the board makes decisions about measurement concepts. We do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance, but the concepts will almost certainly be discussed.”
This is after 6 years on the Project.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
It´s the real value, stupid!
Real value is the most important fundamental economic concept although it is the lesser studied and understood compared to the study of money. Money and real value are, unfortunately, not one and the same thing during inflation and deflation. Money and monetary items always have lower real values during inflation and higher real values during deflation under any accounting model.
Money is an invention. We can terminate its existence while real value is a fundamental economic concept, which exists, while we exist. Economies have already functioned without money. Barter economies operated without a medium of exchange. Cuba in the past bought oil from Venezuela and paid part in money and part by the provision of the services of sports coaches and medical doctors. Corn farmers in Argentina stored their corn in silos and paid for new pick-up trucks and other expensive mechanized farm implements with quantities of corn - the unit of real value Adam Smith described more than 230 years ago as a very stable unit of real value.
There will always be real value while the human race exists. The need for a medium of exchange, which is money’s first and basic function, is equally true. Money is one of the greatest human inventions of all time. It ranks on par with the invention of the wheel and the Gutenberg press in terms of importance to human development. Without money modern human development would have been very slow indeed.
Monetary items have the exact same attributes as money with the single exception that they are not actual bank notes and bank coins.
Non-monetary items are all items that are not monetary items.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Money is an invention. We can terminate its existence while real value is a fundamental economic concept, which exists, while we exist. Economies have already functioned without money. Barter economies operated without a medium of exchange. Cuba in the past bought oil from Venezuela and paid part in money and part by the provision of the services of sports coaches and medical doctors. Corn farmers in Argentina stored their corn in silos and paid for new pick-up trucks and other expensive mechanized farm implements with quantities of corn - the unit of real value Adam Smith described more than 230 years ago as a very stable unit of real value.
There will always be real value while the human race exists. The need for a medium of exchange, which is money’s first and basic function, is equally true. Money is one of the greatest human inventions of all time. It ranks on par with the invention of the wheel and the Gutenberg press in terms of importance to human development. Without money modern human development would have been very slow indeed.
Monetary items have the exact same attributes as money with the single exception that they are not actual bank notes and bank coins.
Non-monetary items are all items that are not monetary items.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Monday, 5 July 2010
Time line for a Unit of Constant Purchasing Power
1707
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was first used in 1707.
1896
The Market Gage Plan for stabilizing the purchasing power of the dollar was originated in 1896.
1918
The article “The Market Gage Dollar: A Unit of Constant Purchasing Power” was published in The American Economic Review.
The Market Gage Dollar: A Unit of Constant Purchasing Power
D.J. Tinnes
The American Economic Review, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Sep., 1918), pp. 579-584
1925
In 1925 the CPI became institutionalized when the Second International Conference of Labour Statisticians, convened by the International Labour Organization, promulgated the first international standards of measurement.
1989
The International Accounting Standards Board Committee authorized financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing in The Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements, Paragraph 104 (a) which states:
“Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or units of constant purchasing power.”
2004
“In October 2004, the FASB and IASB added to their agendas a joint project to develop an improved, common conceptual framework that builds on their existing frameworks (that is, the IASB’s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements and the FASB’s Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts).” *
2007
The Boards held roundtable discussions on measurement during January and February 2007. *
Capital maintenance mentioned once in the summary.
“Measurement Basis Candidates (April 2007)
The Boards discussed issues related to the following primary measurement basis candidates:
1.Past entry price
2.Past exit price
3.Modified past amount
4.Current entry price
5.Current exit price
6.Current equilibrium price
7.Value in use
8.Future entry price
9.Future exit price.” *
Please note: A unit of constant purchasing power was not stated as a primary measurement basis candidate.
2008
“New Approach (November 2008)
The Boards discussed the beginnings of an approach to making standards-level decisions about measurement of assets and liabilities.
Five factors that might be considered in selecting from among alternative measurement bases are:
1.Value/flow weighting and separation.
2.Confidence level.
3.The measurement of items that generate cash flows together.
4.Cost-benefit” *
Please note: Nothing about a unit of constant purchasing power as a measurement basis.
2009
“Possible Measurement Approaches (January 2009)
On January 14, 2009, the Board discussed which possible measurement methods should be included in the conceptual framework and tentatively decided to include the following categories:
1.Actual or estimated current prices (which will become past prices in future periods if an item is not remeasured)
2.Actual past entry prices adjusted for interest accruals, depreciation, amortization, impairments, and similar things
3.Other prescribed computations based on discounted or undiscounted estimates of future cash flows (which would include value in use and fair-value-based measurements, among other things).” *
Please note: Nothing about a unit of constant purchasing power as a measurement basis.
“Draft Measurement Chapter of the Conceptual Framework (June 2009)
At the June 10, 2009, meeting, the Board discussed a draft measurement chapter for the conceptual framework that is based on measurement factors the Board has discussed in earlier meetings. Those factors are:
1.Method of value realization
2.Cost of preparing and using measures
3.Relative level of confidence in different measures
4.Use of consistent measures for similar items and items used together
5.Separability of changes in measures.” *
Please note: Nothing about a unit of constant purchasing power as a measurement basis.
*As per The Joint Conceptual Framework Project Update.
2010
On 1st July 2010 the US Financial Accounting Standards Board finally stated in email correspondence that the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance will be discussed under the Measurement Phase of The Joint Conceptual Framework Project:
“We do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance, but the concepts will almost certainly be discussed.”
Units of constant purchasing power have not been stated once as a measurement basis during the first six years of The Joint Conceptual Framework Project, but, there is reason to expect that they will be discussed in the Measurement Phase in the future.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was first used in 1707.
1896
The Market Gage Plan for stabilizing the purchasing power of the dollar was originated in 1896.
1918
The article “The Market Gage Dollar: A Unit of Constant Purchasing Power” was published in The American Economic Review.
The Market Gage Dollar: A Unit of Constant Purchasing Power
D.J. Tinnes
The American Economic Review, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Sep., 1918), pp. 579-584
1925
In 1925 the CPI became institutionalized when the Second International Conference of Labour Statisticians, convened by the International Labour Organization, promulgated the first international standards of measurement.
1989
The International Accounting Standards Board Committee authorized financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing in The Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements, Paragraph 104 (a) which states:
“Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or units of constant purchasing power.”
2004
“In October 2004, the FASB and IASB added to their agendas a joint project to develop an improved, common conceptual framework that builds on their existing frameworks (that is, the IASB’s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements and the FASB’s Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts).” *
2007
The Boards held roundtable discussions on measurement during January and February 2007. *
Capital maintenance mentioned once in the summary.
“Measurement Basis Candidates (April 2007)
The Boards discussed issues related to the following primary measurement basis candidates:
1.Past entry price
2.Past exit price
3.Modified past amount
4.Current entry price
5.Current exit price
6.Current equilibrium price
7.Value in use
8.Future entry price
9.Future exit price.” *
Please note: A unit of constant purchasing power was not stated as a primary measurement basis candidate.
2008
“New Approach (November 2008)
The Boards discussed the beginnings of an approach to making standards-level decisions about measurement of assets and liabilities.
Five factors that might be considered in selecting from among alternative measurement bases are:
1.Value/flow weighting and separation.
2.Confidence level.
3.The measurement of items that generate cash flows together.
4.Cost-benefit” *
Please note: Nothing about a unit of constant purchasing power as a measurement basis.
2009
“Possible Measurement Approaches (January 2009)
On January 14, 2009, the Board discussed which possible measurement methods should be included in the conceptual framework and tentatively decided to include the following categories:
1.Actual or estimated current prices (which will become past prices in future periods if an item is not remeasured)
2.Actual past entry prices adjusted for interest accruals, depreciation, amortization, impairments, and similar things
3.Other prescribed computations based on discounted or undiscounted estimates of future cash flows (which would include value in use and fair-value-based measurements, among other things).” *
Please note: Nothing about a unit of constant purchasing power as a measurement basis.
“Draft Measurement Chapter of the Conceptual Framework (June 2009)
At the June 10, 2009, meeting, the Board discussed a draft measurement chapter for the conceptual framework that is based on measurement factors the Board has discussed in earlier meetings. Those factors are:
1.Method of value realization
2.Cost of preparing and using measures
3.Relative level of confidence in different measures
4.Use of consistent measures for similar items and items used together
5.Separability of changes in measures.” *
Please note: Nothing about a unit of constant purchasing power as a measurement basis.
*As per The Joint Conceptual Framework Project Update.
2010
On 1st July 2010 the US Financial Accounting Standards Board finally stated in email correspondence that the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance will be discussed under the Measurement Phase of The Joint Conceptual Framework Project:
“We do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance, but the concepts will almost certainly be discussed.”
Units of constant purchasing power have not been stated once as a measurement basis during the first six years of The Joint Conceptual Framework Project, but, there is reason to expect that they will be discussed in the Measurement Phase in the future.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Friday, 2 July 2010
Capital maintenance to be discussed in Measurement phase
The IASB and FASB are jointly updating and converging their Frameworks. The joint Conceptual Framework project has eight phases, one of which is the Measurement phase.
Buy the ebook for $2.99 or £1.53 or €2.68
The Boards held roundtable discussions on measurement during January and February 2007. No public Discussion Paper has yet been presented for comment.
Reading the reports about the items discussed thus far in the Measurement Phase I noticed that the discussions are almost entirely about variable real value non-monetary items (property, plant, equipment, stock, shares, financial instruments, etc.) and almost nothing about monetary items and constant real value non-monetary items (all items in the income statement, all items in shareholders equity, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc).
I emailed Kevin McBeth, the FASB Project Manager responsible for the Measurement Phase in the joint project and asked him in which phase the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance are going to be discussed.
He responded by email:
“I cannot speak for the Boards with respect to your query. I can only say that early on in the measurement phase the staff suggested that capital and capital maintenance be discussed in the measurement phase, as it was in the original FASB Conceptual Framework. However, to date the Boards have not taken a decision on where, or even whether, those topics will be included in the converged framework.” (my bold lettering).
I then put the same question to the US Financial Accounting Standards Board.
Ron Lott, the FASB director who is responsible for the joint FASB-IASB Conceptual Framework project responded by email:
“We are of course familiar with paragraphs 102 – 110 of the IASB Framework as well as paragraphs 45-48 of FASB Concepts Statement 5. Although not labeled as such, capital maintenance ideas have been raised at various points in the discussions of measurement concepts and will continue to be discussed until the board makes decisions about measurement concepts.
We do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance, but the concepts will almost certainly be discussed.”
Kevin McBeth stated the following by email:
“I believe that you may have misunderstood the discussions the FASB and IASB have had about measurement. Those discussions have used examples of various items, some of which you refer to as variable real value non-monetary items. That may have led you to believe that some of your concerns are being ignored. However, the scope of the measurement phase of the Conceptual Framework project does not exclude the items you refer to as constant real value non-monetary items. The Boards are concerned about the effects of selecting measurements on all elements of the financial statements.
Much remains to be done on this project. Although future discussions probably will not use the terminology and classification scheme that you are espousing, there is reason to expect that they will address the items of concern to you.” (my bold lettering).
The Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance will thus be discussed in the Measurement Phase.
Kindest regards
Buy the ebook for $2.99 or £1.53 or €2.68
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Buy the ebook for $2.99 or £1.53 or €2.68
The Boards held roundtable discussions on measurement during January and February 2007. No public Discussion Paper has yet been presented for comment.
Reading the reports about the items discussed thus far in the Measurement Phase I noticed that the discussions are almost entirely about variable real value non-monetary items (property, plant, equipment, stock, shares, financial instruments, etc.) and almost nothing about monetary items and constant real value non-monetary items (all items in the income statement, all items in shareholders equity, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc).
I emailed Kevin McBeth, the FASB Project Manager responsible for the Measurement Phase in the joint project and asked him in which phase the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance are going to be discussed.
He responded by email:
“I cannot speak for the Boards with respect to your query. I can only say that early on in the measurement phase the staff suggested that capital and capital maintenance be discussed in the measurement phase, as it was in the original FASB Conceptual Framework. However, to date the Boards have not taken a decision on where, or even whether, those topics will be included in the converged framework.” (my bold lettering).
I then put the same question to the US Financial Accounting Standards Board.
Ron Lott, the FASB director who is responsible for the joint FASB-IASB Conceptual Framework project responded by email:
“We are of course familiar with paragraphs 102 – 110 of the IASB Framework as well as paragraphs 45-48 of FASB Concepts Statement 5. Although not labeled as such, capital maintenance ideas have been raised at various points in the discussions of measurement concepts and will continue to be discussed until the board makes decisions about measurement concepts.
We do not know yet whether there will be a section in the yet-to-be-completed measurement concepts chapter labeled capital maintenance, but the concepts will almost certainly be discussed.”
Kevin McBeth stated the following by email:
“I believe that you may have misunderstood the discussions the FASB and IASB have had about measurement. Those discussions have used examples of various items, some of which you refer to as variable real value non-monetary items. That may have led you to believe that some of your concerns are being ignored. However, the scope of the measurement phase of the Conceptual Framework project does not exclude the items you refer to as constant real value non-monetary items. The Boards are concerned about the effects of selecting measurements on all elements of the financial statements.
Much remains to be done on this project. Although future discussions probably will not use the terminology and classification scheme that you are espousing, there is reason to expect that they will address the items of concern to you.” (my bold lettering).
The Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance will thus be discussed in the Measurement Phase.
Kindest regards
Buy the ebook for $2.99 or £1.53 or €2.68
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Bye bye CPI, Hello Dollarization
A non-barter economy needs an internal medium of exchange, i.e. money. The rate of change in the Consumer Price Index indicates the rate of inflation, i.e. the annual rate at which the real value of the your money is being destroyed inside your economy.
There are three fundamentally different basic economic items in the economy:
1. Monetary items: money held and items with an underlying monetary nature; basically money and money loans.
2. Variable real value non-monetary items; e.g. property, plant, equipment, raw materials, finished goods, etc.
3. Constant real value non-monetary items; e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, issued share capital, retained profits in companies, debtors, creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc.
1. Inflation automatically determines the real value of your money inside your economy; i.e. the value of money and other monetary items in the economy. You cannot inflation-adjust or update money or monetary items during the current financial period.
2. Variable item prices are ideally determined in a free market where demand and supply determine the prices of these items. Inflation is automatically taken into account in the process.
3. Constant item values (prices) e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, issued share capital, retained profits in companies, capital reserves, debtors, creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc., have to be inflation-adjusted on a monthly basis in an inflationary economy by applying the change in the CPI in order to keep the economy stable.
If a country does not calculate its CPI correctly, then it is playing with fire – like Argentina and Venezuela are doing.
The final solution in these cases are always Dollarization.
Why? Because you need a relatively stable unit of measure in an economy.
When you inflation-adjust all constant real value non-monetary items e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, issued share capital, retained profits in companies, capital reserves, debtors, creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc., on a monthly basis by means of the monthly change in the CPI, then you keep your economy stable because you measure you constant real value non-monetary economy in units of constant purchasing power – as Brazil did with a daily index supplied by the government during 30 years of high and hyperinflation.
For that you need a correctly calculated CPI.
When you mess around with your CPI which is a basic essential in your economy, then you are on your way to Dollarization.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
There are three fundamentally different basic economic items in the economy:
1. Monetary items: money held and items with an underlying monetary nature; basically money and money loans.
2. Variable real value non-monetary items; e.g. property, plant, equipment, raw materials, finished goods, etc.
3. Constant real value non-monetary items; e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, issued share capital, retained profits in companies, debtors, creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc.
1. Inflation automatically determines the real value of your money inside your economy; i.e. the value of money and other monetary items in the economy. You cannot inflation-adjust or update money or monetary items during the current financial period.
2. Variable item prices are ideally determined in a free market where demand and supply determine the prices of these items. Inflation is automatically taken into account in the process.
3. Constant item values (prices) e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, issued share capital, retained profits in companies, capital reserves, debtors, creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc., have to be inflation-adjusted on a monthly basis in an inflationary economy by applying the change in the CPI in order to keep the economy stable.
If a country does not calculate its CPI correctly, then it is playing with fire – like Argentina and Venezuela are doing.
The final solution in these cases are always Dollarization.
Why? Because you need a relatively stable unit of measure in an economy.
When you inflation-adjust all constant real value non-monetary items e.g. salaries, wages, rentals, issued share capital, retained profits in companies, capital reserves, debtors, creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, etc., on a monthly basis by means of the monthly change in the CPI, then you keep your economy stable because you measure you constant real value non-monetary economy in units of constant purchasing power – as Brazil did with a daily index supplied by the government during 30 years of high and hyperinflation.
For that you need a correctly calculated CPI.
When you mess around with your CPI which is a basic essential in your economy, then you are on your way to Dollarization.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
IASC Foundation to become IFRS Foundation on 1 July 2010
"IASC Foundation to become IFRS Foundation on 1 July 2010
On 1 July 2010 the IASC Foundation will formally change its name to the IFRS Foundation.
The change represents the next step in a process to simplify the names in use across the organisation announced following the conclusion of the Constitutional Review in 2010. The International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) and the Standards Advisory Council (SAC) have already been renamed as the IFRS Interpretations Committee and the IFRS Advisory Council, respectively.
The name of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) will remain unchanged."
© 2010 International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation
On 1 July 2010 the IASC Foundation will formally change its name to the IFRS Foundation.
The change represents the next step in a process to simplify the names in use across the organisation announced following the conclusion of the Constitutional Review in 2010. The International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) and the Standards Advisory Council (SAC) have already been renamed as the IFRS Interpretations Committee and the IFRS Advisory Council, respectively.
The name of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) will remain unchanged."
© 2010 International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation
Monetary items
International Financial Reporting Standards definitions:
1. IAS 21 Par 8 Monetary items are units of currency held and assets and liabilities to be received or paid in a fixed or determinable number of units of currency.
So, if you buy a mobile phone on credit and pay it´s fixed price in two month´s time, then your mobile phone is a monetary item according to IFRS.
Obviously wrong.
2. IAS 29 Par 12 Monetary items are money held and items to be received or paid in money.
If you buy a mobile phone on credit and its fixed price is to be paid in two month´s time in money, then your mobile phone is a monetary item according to IFRS.
Obviously wrong.
The correct definition of monetary items:
Monetary items constitute the Money supply.
Updated on 11-05-2013
Trade debtors and trade creditors are constant real value non-monetary items.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
1. IAS 21 Par 8 Monetary items are units of currency held and assets and liabilities to be received or paid in a fixed or determinable number of units of currency.
So, if you buy a mobile phone on credit and pay it´s fixed price in two month´s time, then your mobile phone is a monetary item according to IFRS.
Obviously wrong.
2. IAS 29 Par 12 Monetary items are money held and items to be received or paid in money.
If you buy a mobile phone on credit and its fixed price is to be paid in two month´s time in money, then your mobile phone is a monetary item according to IFRS.
Obviously wrong.
The correct definition of monetary items:
Monetary items constitute the Money supply.
Updated on 11-05-2013
Trade debtors and trade creditors are constant real value non-monetary items.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Money versus real value
In practice, money has a specific real value for a month at a time in an internal economy or monetary union during low inflation and deflation. It changes every time the CPI changes. A monetary note or monetary coin has its nominal value permanently printed on it. Its nominal value does not and now cannot change.
Today monetary units are mostly created in economies subject to inflation. The Japanese economy is regularly in a state of deflation. The Japanese Yen increases in real value inside the Japanese economy during deflation.
Money refers to a monetary unit used within the economy or monetary union in which it is created. This does not refer to the foreign exchange value of a monetary unit which is not the subject of this book. The foreign exchange value of a monetary unit refers to its exchange value in relation to another monetary unit normally the monetary unit of another country or monetary region.
The real value of money would remain the same over time only at sustainable zero per cent annual inflation. Money would thus have an absolutely stable real value only at sustainable zero per cent annual inflation. This has never happened on a permanent basis in any economy. Now and then countries achieve zero annual inflation for a month or two at a time. But never for a sustainable period of a year or more.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Today monetary units are mostly created in economies subject to inflation. The Japanese economy is regularly in a state of deflation. The Japanese Yen increases in real value inside the Japanese economy during deflation.
Money refers to a monetary unit used within the economy or monetary union in which it is created. This does not refer to the foreign exchange value of a monetary unit which is not the subject of this book. The foreign exchange value of a monetary unit refers to its exchange value in relation to another monetary unit normally the monetary unit of another country or monetary region.
The real value of money would remain the same over time only at sustainable zero per cent annual inflation. Money would thus have an absolutely stable real value only at sustainable zero per cent annual inflation. This has never happened on a permanent basis in any economy. Now and then countries achieve zero annual inflation for a month or two at a time. But never for a sustainable period of a year or more.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Monday, 28 June 2010
Measurement in units of constant purchasing power is not generally understood
This is what is stated in the book Principles of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice which reflects what is stated in the IASB´s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements:
“2.7 Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance
The framework identifies two concepts of capital and capital maintenance, the selection of which should be based on users´ needs. It does not say how these needs should be established, nor does it consider the possibility that different user groups may prefer different concepts of capital maintenance.
Financial capital maintenance makes profit dependent upon end-of-period net assets exceeding beginning-of-period net assets (whether measured in nominal units of units of constant purchasing power).
Physical capital maintenance makes profit dependent upon end-of-period physical productive capacity (or operating capability) exceeding that of the beginning of the period.
In both cases, distributions to and contributions from owners must be excluded.
Physical capital maintenance requires the adoption of the current cost basis of measurement, whereas financial capital maintenance does not require the use of a particular basis of measurement, according to paragraph 106 of the framework.
The framework indicates that the principle difference between the two concepts is the treatment of the effect of the changes of prices of assets and liabilities of the enterprise. This is described in paragraphs 108-9 as follows:
* Under the concept of financial capital maintenance where capital is defined in terms of nominal monetary units, profit represents the increase in nominal money capital over the period. Thus, increases in the prices of assets held over the period, conventionally referred to as holding gains, are, conceptually, profits. They may not be recognised as such, however, until the assets are disposed of in an exchange transaction. When the concept of financial capital maintenance is defined in terms of constant purchasing power units, profit represents the increase in invested purchasing power over the period. Thus, only that part of the increase in the prices of assets that exceeds the increase in the general level of prices is regarded as profit. The rest of the increase is treated as a capital maintenance adjustment and, hence, as part of equity.
* Under the concept of physical capital maintenance when capital is defined in terms of the physical productive capacity, profit represents the increase in that capital over the period. All price changes affecting the assets and liabilities of the entity are viewed as changes in the measurement of the physical productive capacity of the entity; hence, they are treated as capital maintenance adjustments that are part of equity and not as profit.”
This is wrong in at least two aspects:
1. There are – in principle (remember that IFRS are principles based standards) – not only two, but three concepts of capital and capital maintenance authorized in IFRS.
2. Measurement in units of constant purchasing power does affect the economy.
The three concepts of capital defined in IFRS during low inflation and deflation are:
•(A) Physical capital. See paragraph 102 of the Framework.
•(B) Nominal financial capital. See paragraph 104 of the Framework.
•(C) Constant purchasing power financial capital. See paragraph 104 of the Framework.
The three concepts of capital maintenance authorized in IFRS during low inflation and deflation are:
•(1) Physical capital maintenance: optional during low inflation and deflation. Current Cost Accounting model prescribed by IFRS. See Par 106 of the Framework.
•(2) Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (Historical cost accounting): authorized by IFRS but not prescribed—optional during low inflation and deflation. See Par 104 (a) of the Framework. Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation is a fallacy: it is impossible to maintain the real value of financial capital constant with measurement in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation.
•(3) Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power: authorized by IFRS but not prescribed—optional during low inflation and deflation. See Par 104(a) of the Framework. Prescribed in IAS 29 during hyperinflation. Constant Purchasing Power Accounting. Only financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power per se can maintain the real value of financial capital constant during inflation and deflation in all entities that at least break even—ceteris paribus—for an indefinite period of time. This would happen whether these entities own revaluable fixed assets or not and without the requirement of more capital or additional retained profits to simply maintain the existing constant real value of existing shareholders´ equity constant.
It is a Generally Accepted Accounting Practice that measurement in units of constant purchasing power does affect the economy (see the inflation-adjustment of salaries and wages, etc in the world economy).
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
“2.7 Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance
The framework identifies two concepts of capital and capital maintenance, the selection of which should be based on users´ needs. It does not say how these needs should be established, nor does it consider the possibility that different user groups may prefer different concepts of capital maintenance.
Financial capital maintenance makes profit dependent upon end-of-period net assets exceeding beginning-of-period net assets (whether measured in nominal units of units of constant purchasing power).
Physical capital maintenance makes profit dependent upon end-of-period physical productive capacity (or operating capability) exceeding that of the beginning of the period.
In both cases, distributions to and contributions from owners must be excluded.
Physical capital maintenance requires the adoption of the current cost basis of measurement, whereas financial capital maintenance does not require the use of a particular basis of measurement, according to paragraph 106 of the framework.
The framework indicates that the principle difference between the two concepts is the treatment of the effect of the changes of prices of assets and liabilities of the enterprise. This is described in paragraphs 108-9 as follows:
* Under the concept of financial capital maintenance where capital is defined in terms of nominal monetary units, profit represents the increase in nominal money capital over the period. Thus, increases in the prices of assets held over the period, conventionally referred to as holding gains, are, conceptually, profits. They may not be recognised as such, however, until the assets are disposed of in an exchange transaction. When the concept of financial capital maintenance is defined in terms of constant purchasing power units, profit represents the increase in invested purchasing power over the period. Thus, only that part of the increase in the prices of assets that exceeds the increase in the general level of prices is regarded as profit. The rest of the increase is treated as a capital maintenance adjustment and, hence, as part of equity.
* Under the concept of physical capital maintenance when capital is defined in terms of the physical productive capacity, profit represents the increase in that capital over the period. All price changes affecting the assets and liabilities of the entity are viewed as changes in the measurement of the physical productive capacity of the entity; hence, they are treated as capital maintenance adjustments that are part of equity and not as profit.”
This is wrong in at least two aspects:
1. There are – in principle (remember that IFRS are principles based standards) – not only two, but three concepts of capital and capital maintenance authorized in IFRS.
2. Measurement in units of constant purchasing power does affect the economy.
The three concepts of capital defined in IFRS during low inflation and deflation are:
•(A) Physical capital. See paragraph 102 of the Framework.
•(B) Nominal financial capital. See paragraph 104 of the Framework.
•(C) Constant purchasing power financial capital. See paragraph 104 of the Framework.
The three concepts of capital maintenance authorized in IFRS during low inflation and deflation are:
•(1) Physical capital maintenance: optional during low inflation and deflation. Current Cost Accounting model prescribed by IFRS. See Par 106 of the Framework.
•(2) Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (Historical cost accounting): authorized by IFRS but not prescribed—optional during low inflation and deflation. See Par 104 (a) of the Framework. Financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation is a fallacy: it is impossible to maintain the real value of financial capital constant with measurement in nominal monetary units per se during inflation and deflation.
•(3) Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power: authorized by IFRS but not prescribed—optional during low inflation and deflation. See Par 104(a) of the Framework. Prescribed in IAS 29 during hyperinflation. Constant Purchasing Power Accounting. Only financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power per se can maintain the real value of financial capital constant during inflation and deflation in all entities that at least break even—ceteris paribus—for an indefinite period of time. This would happen whether these entities own revaluable fixed assets or not and without the requirement of more capital or additional retained profits to simply maintain the existing constant real value of existing shareholders´ equity constant.
It is a Generally Accepted Accounting Practice that measurement in units of constant purchasing power does affect the economy (see the inflation-adjustment of salaries and wages, etc in the world economy).
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Friday, 25 June 2010
Capital maintenance to be excluded from IFRS
Capital maintenance to be excluded from IFRS
Last updated on 4 May, 2012
The current International Accounting Standards Board´s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements includes eight paragraphs dedicated to the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance.
The Framework - with the exception of the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance - is in the process of being updated. The Joint “Conceptual Framework project aims to update and refine the existing concepts to reflect the changes in markets, business practices and the economic environment that have occurred in the two or more decades since the concepts were first developed.
Its overall objective is to create a sound foundation for future accounting standards that are principles-based, internally consistent and internationally converged. Therefore the IASB and the US FASB (the boards) are undertaking the project jointly” according to the IASB.
The Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance are not included in the phases to be updated in the Joint Conceptual Framework Project.
Kevin McBeth, FASB Conceptual Framework Project Manager (Phase C Measurement) stated in email correspondence with me: "In the measurement phase the staff suggested that capital and capital maintenance be discussed in the measurement phase, as it was in the original FASB Conceptual Framework. However, to date the Boards have not taken a decision on where, or even whether, those topics will be included in the converged framework."
It is thus not clear where, or even whether the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance as stated in the current Framework, Paragraphs 102 to 110 will be included in the new Conceptual Framework. According to Kevin McBeth, the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance may even be excluded from the future converged Conceptual Framework.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Update:
The Capital Maintenance section of the original Framework (1989) was retained in the latest Conceptual Framework (2010).
Copyright © 2010-2012 Nicolaas J Smith
Last updated on 4 May, 2012
The current International Accounting Standards Board´s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements includes eight paragraphs dedicated to the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance.
The Framework - with the exception of the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance - is in the process of being updated. The Joint “Conceptual Framework project aims to update and refine the existing concepts to reflect the changes in markets, business practices and the economic environment that have occurred in the two or more decades since the concepts were first developed.
Its overall objective is to create a sound foundation for future accounting standards that are principles-based, internally consistent and internationally converged. Therefore the IASB and the US FASB (the boards) are undertaking the project jointly” according to the IASB.
The Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance are not included in the phases to be updated in the Joint Conceptual Framework Project.
Kevin McBeth, FASB Conceptual Framework Project Manager (Phase C Measurement) stated in email correspondence with me: "In the measurement phase the staff suggested that capital and capital maintenance be discussed in the measurement phase, as it was in the original FASB Conceptual Framework. However, to date the Boards have not taken a decision on where, or even whether, those topics will be included in the converged framework."
It is thus not clear where, or even whether the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance as stated in the current Framework, Paragraphs 102 to 110 will be included in the new Conceptual Framework. According to Kevin McBeth, the Concepts of Capital and Capital Maintenance may even be excluded from the future converged Conceptual Framework.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Update:
The Capital Maintenance section of the original Framework (1989) was retained in the latest Conceptual Framework (2010).
Copyright © 2010-2012 Nicolaas J Smith
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Real value to be destroyed by SA accountants over the next 30 years - Part II
We can see from Table 3 what the difference would be when SA accountants freely decide to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as the IASB-authorized them to do 21 years ago in the Framework, Par 104 (a).
The destruction of real value in constant items never maintained which SA accountants treat as monetary items would stop completely. There would only be real value destruction in the value of the Rand because of inflation. At 6.4% annual inflation only R124 billion in real value would be destroyed in the economy as a whole instead of the current about R324 billion over a period of 12 months. Over five years the cumulative total of real value destruction would drop from R1 620 billion to R 624 billion, over 10 years from R3 240 billion to R1 249 billion, over 20 years from R6 480 billion to R2 498 billion and over 30 years from R9 720 billion to R3 747 billion.
SA accountants unknowingly destroy existing real values in existing constant items never maintained with their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption. When they stop their stable measuring unit assumption they would knowingly maintain about R200 billion in existing constant item real values during every period of 12 months in the SA real economy amounting to R1 000 billion over 5 years, R 2 000 billion over 10 years, R4 000 over 20 years and R6 000 billion over 30 years. Boosting the SA real economy with these real values would make a significant difference to growth and employment in the economy over those periods.
Obviously a further reduction of inflation to an annual average of 4% would improve the SA monetary economy even more. Over 30 years it would maintain a further R1 140 billion in the monetary economy on top of the R6 000 to be gained when SA accountants freely switch over to financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power.
There would never more be any destruction of real value in constant items never maintained because of a fundamentally flawed basic model of accounting under which SA accountants simply assume there is no such thing as inflation and never has been, only for the valuation of constant items, when they measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation. This is exactly the same as stating that there would never more be destruction of the real value of the Rand in the monetary economy at the level of R228 billion per annum (12 x 19 billion) as long as average annual inflation never again reaches 12%. There would be zero per cent real value destruction in constant items – all else being equal – with financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power at all levels of inflation and deflation.
Stating that the SARB is responsible for limiting the destruction of the real value of the Rand and other monetary items by inflation to a maximum of 6 per cent or R117 billion per annum is the same as stating that the SARB is responsible for maintaining 94 percent or R1 808 billion of the R1 925 billion total per annum of the real value of the Rand and other monetary items in the SA monetary economy.
It is also the same as stating that SA accountants only unknowingly maintain 94 % or R3 133 billion per annum of the about R3 333 billion of the real value of constant items never maintained they unknowingly treat as monetary items in the SA constant item economy under the Historical Cost paradigm since they unknowingly destroy the remaining 6% or R200 billion annually of the real value of constant items never maintained. They would maintain the real value of the R3 333 billion in constant items constant forever in all SA companies at least breaking even – all else being equal – at all levels of inflation and deflation whether these companies have fixed assets or not.
It is evident from the above why Alan Greenspan stated that low inflation is what sustainable economic growth is built on.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
The destruction of real value in constant items never maintained which SA accountants treat as monetary items would stop completely. There would only be real value destruction in the value of the Rand because of inflation. At 6.4% annual inflation only R124 billion in real value would be destroyed in the economy as a whole instead of the current about R324 billion over a period of 12 months. Over five years the cumulative total of real value destruction would drop from R1 620 billion to R 624 billion, over 10 years from R3 240 billion to R1 249 billion, over 20 years from R6 480 billion to R2 498 billion and over 30 years from R9 720 billion to R3 747 billion.
SA accountants unknowingly destroy existing real values in existing constant items never maintained with their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption. When they stop their stable measuring unit assumption they would knowingly maintain about R200 billion in existing constant item real values during every period of 12 months in the SA real economy amounting to R1 000 billion over 5 years, R 2 000 billion over 10 years, R4 000 over 20 years and R6 000 billion over 30 years. Boosting the SA real economy with these real values would make a significant difference to growth and employment in the economy over those periods.
Obviously a further reduction of inflation to an annual average of 4% would improve the SA monetary economy even more. Over 30 years it would maintain a further R1 140 billion in the monetary economy on top of the R6 000 to be gained when SA accountants freely switch over to financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power.
There would never more be any destruction of real value in constant items never maintained because of a fundamentally flawed basic model of accounting under which SA accountants simply assume there is no such thing as inflation and never has been, only for the valuation of constant items, when they measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation. This is exactly the same as stating that there would never more be destruction of the real value of the Rand in the monetary economy at the level of R228 billion per annum (12 x 19 billion) as long as average annual inflation never again reaches 12%. There would be zero per cent real value destruction in constant items – all else being equal – with financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power at all levels of inflation and deflation.
Stating that the SARB is responsible for limiting the destruction of the real value of the Rand and other monetary items by inflation to a maximum of 6 per cent or R117 billion per annum is the same as stating that the SARB is responsible for maintaining 94 percent or R1 808 billion of the R1 925 billion total per annum of the real value of the Rand and other monetary items in the SA monetary economy.
It is also the same as stating that SA accountants only unknowingly maintain 94 % or R3 133 billion per annum of the about R3 333 billion of the real value of constant items never maintained they unknowingly treat as monetary items in the SA constant item economy under the Historical Cost paradigm since they unknowingly destroy the remaining 6% or R200 billion annually of the real value of constant items never maintained. They would maintain the real value of the R3 333 billion in constant items constant forever in all SA companies at least breaking even – all else being equal – at all levels of inflation and deflation whether these companies have fixed assets or not.
It is evident from the above why Alan Greenspan stated that low inflation is what sustainable economic growth is built on.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Real value to be destroyed by SA accountants over the next 30 years - Part I
Link to tables
Table 2 above is a good estimate of the state of real value destruction in the SA economy at the moment: In the 12 month period ending in August, 2009, inflation actually destroyed R1 952.799 billion x 0.064 = R124.9 billion in the real value of the Rand in the SA monetary economy. At the same time SA accountants unknowingly destroyed about R200 billion in the real value of constant items never maintained which they treat as monetary items in the SA constant item economy. About R324 billion in real value was thus destroyed in the SA economy in the 12 months to August, 2009 by inflation and unknowingly by SA accountants implementing their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption.
If inflation stays at 6.4% for the next five years and SA accountants keep on unknowingly destroying the real values of constant items never maintained which they treat as monetary items with their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption then a cumulative total of R1 620 billion in real value would be destroyed in the SA economy – all else being equal. The cumulative totals of real value destruction under these circumstances for 10, 20 and 30 years would be R3 240 billion, R6 480 billion and R9 720 billion respectively. These are huge values of real value destruction in the SA economy. The part which SA accountants unknowingly, unnecessarily and unintentionally destroy can easily be eliminated completely.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Table 2 above is a good estimate of the state of real value destruction in the SA economy at the moment: In the 12 month period ending in August, 2009, inflation actually destroyed R1 952.799 billion x 0.064 = R124.9 billion in the real value of the Rand in the SA monetary economy. At the same time SA accountants unknowingly destroyed about R200 billion in the real value of constant items never maintained which they treat as monetary items in the SA constant item economy. About R324 billion in real value was thus destroyed in the SA economy in the 12 months to August, 2009 by inflation and unknowingly by SA accountants implementing their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption.
If inflation stays at 6.4% for the next five years and SA accountants keep on unknowingly destroying the real values of constant items never maintained which they treat as monetary items with their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption then a cumulative total of R1 620 billion in real value would be destroyed in the SA economy – all else being equal. The cumulative totals of real value destruction under these circumstances for 10, 20 and 30 years would be R3 240 billion, R6 480 billion and R9 720 billion respectively. These are huge values of real value destruction in the SA economy. The part which SA accountants unknowingly, unnecessarily and unintentionally destroy can easily be eliminated completely.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Friday, 18 June 2010
They simply don´t understand it.
SA accountants (and everyone else) make the mistake of blaming the destruction of companies´ profits and capital by their choice of traditional HCA - which includes the stable measuring unit assumption - on inflation.
SA accountants identify the problem, namely, that the real values of companies´ profits and capital are being destroyed over time when implementing HCA during low inflation. They make the mistake of blaming inflation instead of their own free choice of the stable measuring unit assumption. This is camouflaged by IFRS approval in the Framework, Par 104 (a) of the stable measuring unit assumption- the stealth enemy in the SA economy wreaking more havoc than inflation, its convenient cover.
The US Financial Accounting Standards Board also blames inflation:
“In Mr. Mosso's view, conventional accounting measurements fail to capture the erosion of business profits and invested capital caused by inflation.”
Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 33, P. 24
Everyone only sees one enemy being responsible for all of the invisible and untouchable systemic real value destruction in the economy. They think inflation is responsible for all real value destruction.
SA accountants already confused by inflation illusion (just like everyone else), further feel that the SARB with its monetary policies and the SA government with its economic policies should "influence" inflation which would then "influence reported results” by inflation. But, it is not inflation destroying the real value of companies´ profits and capital, it is accountants´ choice of traditional HCA which includes their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption. This second enemy is a stealth enemy camouflaged by IFRS approval in the Framework, Par 104 (a) since the way it operates is not understood by SA accountants and accounting lecturers at SA universities. If they understood it, they would have stopped it by now with financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they had been authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
SA accountants identify the problem, namely, that the real values of companies´ profits and capital are being destroyed over time when implementing HCA during low inflation. They make the mistake of blaming inflation instead of their own free choice of the stable measuring unit assumption. This is camouflaged by IFRS approval in the Framework, Par 104 (a) of the stable measuring unit assumption- the stealth enemy in the SA economy wreaking more havoc than inflation, its convenient cover.
The US Financial Accounting Standards Board also blames inflation:
“In Mr. Mosso's view, conventional accounting measurements fail to capture the erosion of business profits and invested capital caused by inflation.”
Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 33, P. 24
Everyone only sees one enemy being responsible for all of the invisible and untouchable systemic real value destruction in the economy. They think inflation is responsible for all real value destruction.
SA accountants already confused by inflation illusion (just like everyone else), further feel that the SARB with its monetary policies and the SA government with its economic policies should "influence" inflation which would then "influence reported results” by inflation. But, it is not inflation destroying the real value of companies´ profits and capital, it is accountants´ choice of traditional HCA which includes their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption. This second enemy is a stealth enemy camouflaged by IFRS approval in the Framework, Par 104 (a) since the way it operates is not understood by SA accountants and accounting lecturers at SA universities. If they understood it, they would have stopped it by now with financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they had been authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Lock up anyone who messes with CPI
The change in the Consumer Price Index - which indicates the rate of inflation or deflation - is the only way we know what is happening with the real value of fiat money. This affects everyone in an economy. Messing around with the CPI should be a criminal offence punishable with a severe prison sentence.
See the following report on Bloomberg:
Economists and politicians, including former central bank President Alfonso Prat-Gay, have challenged official data since former President Nestor Kirchner started to replace personnel at the Buenos Aires-based statistics institute in January 2007.
Kirchner´s wife is the current Argentine President who will most probably be in South Africa if Maradonna´s team get to the final.
The lack of understanding the fact that accountants implementing Historical Cost Accounting is the cause of the destruction of the real value of constant real value non-monetary items (salaries, wages, issued share capital, retained earnings, all other items in shareholders´ equity, trade debtors, trade creditors, all other non-monetary receivables and all other non-monetary payables, etc) makes everone so concerned about inflation when, in fact, they can stop that unknowing, unnecessary and unintentional destruction by accountants when accountants freely change over to financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as authorized in International Financial Reporting Standards in the Framework, Par 104 (a) twenty one years ago.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
See the following report on Bloomberg:
Economists and politicians, including former central bank President Alfonso Prat-Gay, have challenged official data since former President Nestor Kirchner started to replace personnel at the Buenos Aires-based statistics institute in January 2007.
Kirchner´s wife is the current Argentine President who will most probably be in South Africa if Maradonna´s team get to the final.
The lack of understanding the fact that accountants implementing Historical Cost Accounting is the cause of the destruction of the real value of constant real value non-monetary items (salaries, wages, issued share capital, retained earnings, all other items in shareholders´ equity, trade debtors, trade creditors, all other non-monetary receivables and all other non-monetary payables, etc) makes everone so concerned about inflation when, in fact, they can stop that unknowing, unnecessary and unintentional destruction by accountants when accountants freely change over to financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as authorized in International Financial Reporting Standards in the Framework, Par 104 (a) twenty one years ago.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Two economic enemies
There are two economic enemies destroying real value systematically in the SA economy. The first enemy - inflation - is an economic process. The second enemy is a Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
The second economic enemy is SA accountants´ free choice of traditional Historical Cost Accounting which includes their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption. This second process of systemic real value destruction manifests itself in accountants´ stable measuring unit assumption only in the constant item part of the SA non-monetary or real economy when they freely choose to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (one of the three popular accounting fallacies on which current IFRS are based) when they implement the traditional HCA model in SA companies during low inflation as approved in the IASB´s Framework, Par 104 (a) which is compliant with IFRS.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
The second economic enemy is SA accountants´ free choice of traditional Historical Cost Accounting which includes their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption. This second process of systemic real value destruction manifests itself in accountants´ stable measuring unit assumption only in the constant item part of the SA non-monetary or real economy when they freely choose to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units (one of the three popular accounting fallacies on which current IFRS are based) when they implement the traditional HCA model in SA companies during low inflation as approved in the IASB´s Framework, Par 104 (a) which is compliant with IFRS.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Two enemies in the economy
Constant real value non-monetary items never maintained constant are treated like monetary items when their nominal values are never updated as a result of the implementation of the stable measuring unit assumption as part of the traditional Historical cost accounting model during low inflation and deflation.
“The Measuring Unit principle: The unit of measure in accounting shall be the base money unit of the most relevant currency. This principle also assumes the unit of measure is stable; that is, changes in its general purchasing power are not considered sufficiently important to require adjustments to the basic financial statements.”
Paul H. Walgenbach, Norman E. Dittrich and Ernest I. Hanson, (1973), Financial Accounting, New York: Harcourt Brace Javonovich, Inc. Page 429.
Inflation is the primary enemy in the monetary economy and the central bank is the enemy of inflation.
The second enemy is the stable measuring unit assumption. Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as originally authorized in IFRS in the Framework (1989), Par 104 (a) in 1989 is the enemy of the stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation and deflation. In principle, it is assumed that money, the monetary unit of measure, is perfectly stable during low inflation and deflation; that is, it is assumed that changes in its general purchasing power are not sufficiently important to require financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation where under the nominal constant real non-monetary values of all existing constant items in the real economy is updated by applying the monthly change in the annual CPI in order to maintain their constant real values constant forever in all entities that at least break even. The stable measuring unit assumption unknowingly, unintentionally and completely unnecessarily erodes the real values of existing constant items never maintained constant during low inflation to the amount of about R167 billion in the SA constant item economy each and every year while the HCA model is implemented and inflation remains at about 4.8% per annum.
The stable measuring unit assumption is a stealth enemy camouflaged by US GAAP and IFRS authorization which makes it IFRS compliant and the generally accepted accounting fallacy that the erosion of companies´ capital and profits is caused by inflation: hardly anyone knows or understands that when the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption is implemented, it unknowingly, unintentionally and unnecessarily erodes the existing constant real value of constant items never maintained constant at a rate equal to the annual rate of inflation under HCA during low inflation. Some people who already know about it claim that it makes no difference to the economy. The fact that the stable measuring unit assumption is unnecessarily eroding about R167 billion per annum in the SA real economy, and hundreds of billions of US Dollars in the world´s real economy, does make a difference.
Nicolaas Smith
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
“The Measuring Unit principle: The unit of measure in accounting shall be the base money unit of the most relevant currency. This principle also assumes the unit of measure is stable; that is, changes in its general purchasing power are not considered sufficiently important to require adjustments to the basic financial statements.”
Paul H. Walgenbach, Norman E. Dittrich and Ernest I. Hanson, (1973), Financial Accounting, New York: Harcourt Brace Javonovich, Inc. Page 429.
Inflation is the primary enemy in the monetary economy and the central bank is the enemy of inflation.
The second enemy is the stable measuring unit assumption. Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as originally authorized in IFRS in the Framework (1989), Par 104 (a) in 1989 is the enemy of the stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation and deflation. In principle, it is assumed that money, the monetary unit of measure, is perfectly stable during low inflation and deflation; that is, it is assumed that changes in its general purchasing power are not sufficiently important to require financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation where under the nominal constant real non-monetary values of all existing constant items in the real economy is updated by applying the monthly change in the annual CPI in order to maintain their constant real values constant forever in all entities that at least break even. The stable measuring unit assumption unknowingly, unintentionally and completely unnecessarily erodes the real values of existing constant items never maintained constant during low inflation to the amount of about R167 billion in the SA constant item economy each and every year while the HCA model is implemented and inflation remains at about 4.8% per annum.
The stable measuring unit assumption is a stealth enemy camouflaged by US GAAP and IFRS authorization which makes it IFRS compliant and the generally accepted accounting fallacy that the erosion of companies´ capital and profits is caused by inflation: hardly anyone knows or understands that when the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption is implemented, it unknowingly, unintentionally and unnecessarily erodes the existing constant real value of constant items never maintained constant at a rate equal to the annual rate of inflation under HCA during low inflation. Some people who already know about it claim that it makes no difference to the economy. The fact that the stable measuring unit assumption is unnecessarily eroding about R167 billion per annum in the SA real economy, and hundreds of billions of US Dollars in the world´s real economy, does make a difference.
Nicolaas Smith
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Thursday, 10 June 2010
It is not inflation doing the destroying
It is not inflation doing the destroying as the IASB, the FASB and SA accountants mistakenly believe.
It is SA accountants´ free choice of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation as it forms part of financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units – the Historical Cost Accounting model – as authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) twenty one years ago.
SA accountants would knowingly maintain the real values of all constant real value non-monetary items constant (amounting to about R167 billion per year while inflation stays at about 4.8% per annum) in all companies that at least break even forever – all else being equal - no matter what the level of inflation or deflation when they reject the stable measuring unit assumption and implement financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation.
This would be done without requiring extra money or extra retained profits simply to maintain the existing constant real value of existing constant real value non-monetary items constant.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
It is SA accountants´ free choice of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation as it forms part of financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units – the Historical Cost Accounting model – as authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) twenty one years ago.
SA accountants would knowingly maintain the real values of all constant real value non-monetary items constant (amounting to about R167 billion per year while inflation stays at about 4.8% per annum) in all companies that at least break even forever – all else being equal - no matter what the level of inflation or deflation when they reject the stable measuring unit assumption and implement financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation.
This would be done without requiring extra money or extra retained profits simply to maintain the existing constant real value of existing constant real value non-monetary items constant.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
SA accountants are clueless about the destructive nature of the stable measuring unit assumption.
Increases in the general price level (inflation) destroy the real value of the Rand (the functional currency) and other monetary items with an underlying monetary nature (e.g. loans and bonds) equally in the monetary economy. However, inflation has no effect on the real value of variable real value non-monetary items (e.g. land, buildings, goods, commodities, cars, gold, real estate, inventories, finished goods, foreign exchange, etc) and constant real value non-monetary items (e.g. issued share capital, retained profits, capital reserves, other shareholder equity items, salaries, wages, rentals, pensions, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, deferred tax assets, deferred tax liabilities, etc).
SA accountants freely choose to implement the stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation when they value constant items never maintained, e.g. companies´ capital and profits, in nominal monetary units; i.e. when they choose to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units in terms of the IASB´s Framework, Par 104 (a) or in terms of SA GAAP.
SA accountants´ choice of implementing the stable measuring unit assumption instead of measuring constant items´ real values in units of constant purchasing power results in the real values of these constant real value non-monetary items never maintained with sufficient revaluable fixed assets being destroyed at a rate equal to the annual rate of inflation because inflation destroys the real value of the Rand which is the monetary measuring unit of account in the SA economy.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
SA accountants freely choose to implement the stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation when they value constant items never maintained, e.g. companies´ capital and profits, in nominal monetary units; i.e. when they choose to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units in terms of the IASB´s Framework, Par 104 (a) or in terms of SA GAAP.
SA accountants´ choice of implementing the stable measuring unit assumption instead of measuring constant items´ real values in units of constant purchasing power results in the real values of these constant real value non-monetary items never maintained with sufficient revaluable fixed assets being destroyed at a rate equal to the annual rate of inflation because inflation destroys the real value of the Rand which is the monetary measuring unit of account in the SA economy.
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Two processes of systemic real value destruction in the SA economy.
There are two processes of systemic real value destruction in the SA economy, although everybody thinks there is only one economic enemy. This is a mistake. The one enemy is well known. It is inflation. This economic enemy manifests itself in the Rand´s store of value function and only destroys real value in the SA monetary economy at the rate of inflation. Inflation is the enemy in the monetary economy and the Governor of the Reserve Bank is the enemy of inflation. Inflation per se has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.
“Purchasing power of non monetary items does not change in spite of variation in national currency value.”
Prof Dr. Ümit GUCENME, Dr. Aylin Poroy ARSOY, Changes in financial reporting in Turkey, Historical Development of Inflation Accounting 1960 - 2005, Page 9.
Inflation, by itself, cannot destroy the real value of variable real value non-monetary items or constant real value non-monetary items items. It is impossible. Inflation is destroying the real value of the Rand and all other monetary items only in the SA monetary economy at the rate of 4.8 % per annum, at the moment (value date: April, 2010 CPI 111.3). The actual amount of real value destroyed in the real value of Rand notes and coins and other monetary items (bank loans, other monetary loans and deposits, etc) over the twelve months to April, 2010 amounted to about R100 billion.
The second process of real value destruction – the second enemy - is the unknowing, unintentional and completely unnecessary destruction by SA accountants of the real value of only constant items never maintained only in the SA constant item economy. This is the result of their implementation of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation as part of the traditional Historical Cost Accounting model used by most, if not all, SA companies.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
“Purchasing power of non monetary items does not change in spite of variation in national currency value.”
Prof Dr. Ümit GUCENME, Dr. Aylin Poroy ARSOY, Changes in financial reporting in Turkey, Historical Development of Inflation Accounting 1960 - 2005, Page 9.
Inflation, by itself, cannot destroy the real value of variable real value non-monetary items or constant real value non-monetary items items. It is impossible. Inflation is destroying the real value of the Rand and all other monetary items only in the SA monetary economy at the rate of 4.8 % per annum, at the moment (value date: April, 2010 CPI 111.3). The actual amount of real value destroyed in the real value of Rand notes and coins and other monetary items (bank loans, other monetary loans and deposits, etc) over the twelve months to April, 2010 amounted to about R100 billion.
The second process of real value destruction – the second enemy - is the unknowing, unintentional and completely unnecessary destruction by SA accountants of the real value of only constant items never maintained only in the SA constant item economy. This is the result of their implementation of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation as part of the traditional Historical Cost Accounting model used by most, if not all, SA companies.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Monday, 7 June 2010
Inflation normally rises to the upper level of the inflation targeting range
When a central bank governor says that the central bank’s primary task or objective is price stability what she or he means is that the central bank would be fulfilling its primary task, in an economy with low levels of inflation, when prices in general are slowly rising over time (that well known definition of inflation again). The flip side of the coin is that the real value of the national monetary unit is slowly being destroyed by inflation over time.
A central bank’s primary task being a high degree of price stability is the same as saying a central bank’s main responsibility is ensuring that inflation is maintained at a very low level. This low level was generally accepted in first world economies to be 2 percent per annum. The latest sub-prime crisis raised doubts about the 2% level being sufficient in the event of large shocks to the economy.
“In a world of small shocks, 2 percent inflation seemed to provide a sufficient cushion to make the zero lower bound unimportant.” P4
“Should policymakers therefore aim for a higher target inflation rate in normal times, in order to increase the room for monetary policy to react to such shocks? To be concrete, are the net costs of inflation much higher at, say, 4 percent than at 2 percent, the current target range?” P11
Rethinking Monetary Policy, IMF Staff Position Note, Olivier Blanchard, Giovanni Dell´Ariccia and Paulo Mauro, Feb, 2010.
We know that inflation is always and everywhere the destruction of real value in money and other monetary items over time. We also know that inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items over time.
The maintenance of a high degree of price stability (still) means that the primary task of a central bank in a first world economy is to limit the destruction of real value in money and other monetary items by inflation to a maximum of 2 percent per annum within an economy or common monetary area. Continuous two per cent annual inflation destroys 2% of the real value of money and other monetary items per annum and 51% over 35 years.
Under the current Historical Cost paradigm it also means that accountants unknowingly destroy 2% of the real value of constant items never maintained, e.g. companies´ capital and profits never maintained with sufficient revaluable fixed assets, per annum and 51% over 35 years time with their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption. This unknowing and unnecessary destruction by accountants would be eliminated completely when accountants freely choose to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation as they have been authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989.
SARB
“The South African Reserve Bank is the central bank of the Republic of South Africa. It regards its primary goal in the South African economic system as the achievement and maintenance of price stability.
The South African Reserve Bank conducts monetary policy within an inflation targeting framework. The current target is for CPI inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis.” SARB.
The SARB may state officially that it has an inflation targeting range of 3 to 6 per cent per annum. In practice that target is 6 per cent per annum because inflation normally rises to the upper level of the inflation targeting range. The SARB´s official task is thus to limit the destruction of the real value of the Rand currently to 6 per cent per annum.
What does that mean in practice?
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
A central bank’s primary task being a high degree of price stability is the same as saying a central bank’s main responsibility is ensuring that inflation is maintained at a very low level. This low level was generally accepted in first world economies to be 2 percent per annum. The latest sub-prime crisis raised doubts about the 2% level being sufficient in the event of large shocks to the economy.
“In a world of small shocks, 2 percent inflation seemed to provide a sufficient cushion to make the zero lower bound unimportant.” P4
“Should policymakers therefore aim for a higher target inflation rate in normal times, in order to increase the room for monetary policy to react to such shocks? To be concrete, are the net costs of inflation much higher at, say, 4 percent than at 2 percent, the current target range?” P11
Rethinking Monetary Policy, IMF Staff Position Note, Olivier Blanchard, Giovanni Dell´Ariccia and Paulo Mauro, Feb, 2010.
We know that inflation is always and everywhere the destruction of real value in money and other monetary items over time. We also know that inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items over time.
The maintenance of a high degree of price stability (still) means that the primary task of a central bank in a first world economy is to limit the destruction of real value in money and other monetary items by inflation to a maximum of 2 percent per annum within an economy or common monetary area. Continuous two per cent annual inflation destroys 2% of the real value of money and other monetary items per annum and 51% over 35 years.
Under the current Historical Cost paradigm it also means that accountants unknowingly destroy 2% of the real value of constant items never maintained, e.g. companies´ capital and profits never maintained with sufficient revaluable fixed assets, per annum and 51% over 35 years time with their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption. This unknowing and unnecessary destruction by accountants would be eliminated completely when accountants freely choose to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation as they have been authorized in IFRS in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989.
SARB
“The South African Reserve Bank is the central bank of the Republic of South Africa. It regards its primary goal in the South African economic system as the achievement and maintenance of price stability.
The South African Reserve Bank conducts monetary policy within an inflation targeting framework. The current target is for CPI inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis.” SARB.
The SARB may state officially that it has an inflation targeting range of 3 to 6 per cent per annum. In practice that target is 6 per cent per annum because inflation normally rises to the upper level of the inflation targeting range. The SARB´s official task is thus to limit the destruction of the real value of the Rand currently to 6 per cent per annum.
What does that mean in practice?
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Thursday, 3 June 2010
It is not what it appears to be.
When we discuss, write about, talk about or analyze our functional currency, we call it money and describe it using the term money with the implicit assumption that this money we are dealing with is stable - as in fixed - in real economic value in our low inflationary economies. We thus assume at the same time that prices are more or less stable in low inflationary economies too.
The term stable is normally accepted by the public at large to indicate a permanently fixed situation or position or state or price or value. A stable – as in fixed – price over time would be drawn as a horizontal line on a chart. A slowly increasing price over time would be drawn as a slightly rising line on a chart. A slowly decreasing value over time would be drawn as a slightly declining line on a chart. When we say production of a commodity is stable we accept that the absolute number of items being produced is not fluctuating but is at the same level all the time.
The term stable as used by economists, however, does not mean a fixed price or level, even though that is what the public in general thinks it means. The term stable in economics today means slowly increasing or slowly decreasing – depending on what it is being applied to. The term price stability as used by economists today does not mean that prices in general stay the same, but that prices in general are rising slowly – which is, as we are all taught, the popular definition of inflation.
The term stable money as used by economists equally does not mean that the real value of national monetary units they are talking about stays the same in the economy – even though that is what the public in general thinks it means. What they mean with stable money is that the real value of a national monetary unit is slowly being destroyed by inflation over time.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
The term stable is normally accepted by the public at large to indicate a permanently fixed situation or position or state or price or value. A stable – as in fixed – price over time would be drawn as a horizontal line on a chart. A slowly increasing price over time would be drawn as a slightly rising line on a chart. A slowly decreasing value over time would be drawn as a slightly declining line on a chart. When we say production of a commodity is stable we accept that the absolute number of items being produced is not fluctuating but is at the same level all the time.
The term stable as used by economists, however, does not mean a fixed price or level, even though that is what the public in general thinks it means. The term stable in economics today means slowly increasing or slowly decreasing – depending on what it is being applied to. The term price stability as used by economists today does not mean that prices in general stay the same, but that prices in general are rising slowly – which is, as we are all taught, the popular definition of inflation.
The term stable money as used by economists equally does not mean that the real value of national monetary units they are talking about stays the same in the economy – even though that is what the public in general thinks it means. What they mean with stable money is that the real value of a national monetary unit is slowly being destroyed by inflation over time.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
3 to 6% inflation is not absolute "price stability"
There is no money illusion in hyperinflationary economies. People know that hyperinflation destroys the real value of their money very quickly. Central bank governors aid and abet money illusion by regularly stating in their monetary policy statements that they are “achieving and maintaining price stability.”
“The MPC remains fully committed to its mandate of achieving and maintaining price stability.”
TT Mboweni, Governor. 2009-06-25: Statement of the Monetary Policy Committee, SARB.
It is not always pointed out by governors of central banks that the “price stability” they mention, refers to their definition of “price stability”. Jean-Claude Trichet, the President of the European Central Bank, is a central bank governor who regularly mentions that 2% inflation is their definition of price stability. Absolute price stability is a year-on-year increase in the Consumer Price Index of zero per cent. The SARB´s definition of “price stability” “is for CPI inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis.”
The SARB would aid in reducing money illusion and non-monetary real value destruction in the SA economy by stating:
The MPC remains fully committed to its mandate of achieving and maintaining the SARB´s chosen level of price stability which is for CPI inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis. Absolute price stability is a year-on-year increase in the CPI of zero per cent. Current 4.8 % annual inflation destroyed about R100 billion of the real value of the Rand over the past 12 months to the end of April, 2010. A one per cent decrease in inflation would maintain about R20 billion per annum of real value only in the SA monetary economy and about R33 billion in the non-monetary economy as a result of the reduction in the level of unknowing destruction by SA accountants in the real value of constant real value non-monetary items never maintained in consequence of the implementation of their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption as it forms part of traditional Historical Cost Accounting; i.e. financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units during low inflation as authorized in International Financial Reporting Standards in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
“The MPC remains fully committed to its mandate of achieving and maintaining price stability.”
TT Mboweni, Governor. 2009-06-25: Statement of the Monetary Policy Committee, SARB.
It is not always pointed out by governors of central banks that the “price stability” they mention, refers to their definition of “price stability”. Jean-Claude Trichet, the President of the European Central Bank, is a central bank governor who regularly mentions that 2% inflation is their definition of price stability. Absolute price stability is a year-on-year increase in the Consumer Price Index of zero per cent. The SARB´s definition of “price stability” “is for CPI inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis.”
The SARB would aid in reducing money illusion and non-monetary real value destruction in the SA economy by stating:
The MPC remains fully committed to its mandate of achieving and maintaining the SARB´s chosen level of price stability which is for CPI inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis. Absolute price stability is a year-on-year increase in the CPI of zero per cent. Current 4.8 % annual inflation destroyed about R100 billion of the real value of the Rand over the past 12 months to the end of April, 2010. A one per cent decrease in inflation would maintain about R20 billion per annum of real value only in the SA monetary economy and about R33 billion in the non-monetary economy as a result of the reduction in the level of unknowing destruction by SA accountants in the real value of constant real value non-monetary items never maintained in consequence of the implementation of their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption as it forms part of traditional Historical Cost Accounting; i.e. financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units during low inflation as authorized in International Financial Reporting Standards in the Framework, Par 104 (a) in 1989.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Hyperinflation in SA? Only with Malema.
In Zimbabwe hyperinflation reached such high levels that the real value of the country’s entire money supply was wiped out.
Towards the end of the hyperinflationary spiral the real value of the ZimDollar halved every 24.7 hours according to Steve Hanke from Cato Institute.
Eventually the ZimDollar had no value at all.
South Africa has never experienced hyperinflation.
I used to believe that SA will never experience hyperinflation.
With the success of Julius Malema in South Africa I have changed my opinion.
SA can possibly experience hyperinflation if Julius Malema one day becomes president of South Africa.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
Towards the end of the hyperinflationary spiral the real value of the ZimDollar halved every 24.7 hours according to Steve Hanke from Cato Institute.
Eventually the ZimDollar had no value at all.
South Africa has never experienced hyperinflation.
I used to believe that SA will never experience hyperinflation.
With the success of Julius Malema in South Africa I have changed my opinion.
SA can possibly experience hyperinflation if Julius Malema one day becomes president of South Africa.
Kindest regards
Nicolaas Smith
realvalueaccounting@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2010 Nicolaas J Smith
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