The rejection of the stable measuring unit assumption

Accountants and accounting authorities do not appreciate that they can stop accountants destroying real value on a massive scale in the real economy by simply rejecting the stable measuring unit assumption when they choose the IFRS compliant Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting model and measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power at all levels of inflation and deflation.

IFRS do, however, already – 20 years ago - allow the rejection of the stable measuring unit assumption as an alternative to HCA at all levels of inflation and deflation. The IASB´s Framework, Par. 104 (a) states that financial capital maintenance can be calculated in either constant purchasing power units or in nominal monetary units. Par. 104 (a) was authorized by the IASB predecessor body, the International Accounting Standards Committee Board in April, 1989 and adopted by the IASB in 2001.

The stable measuring unit assumption is also rejected in IAS 29 Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies.
The Standards thus already reject the stable measuring unit assumption under two circumstances:

1.) In IAS 29 during hyperinflationary conditions with the IASB´s Constant Purchasing Power inflation accounting model which is a complete price-level inflation accounting model under which all non-monetary items, variable and constant items, are inflation-adjusted by means of the CPI during hyperinflation, and

2.) In the Framework, Par. 104 (a) in the implementation of the Constant Item Purchasing Power basic accounting model with the measurement of financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as an alternative to the real value destroying traditional HCA model when the stable measuring unit assumption is maintained for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation.
 IFRS already allow the rejection of the stable measuring unit assumption under two circumstances: (1) as an alternative to the real value destroying traditional basic HCA model under low inflation and (2) as a specific requirement by the IASB during hyperinflation – both items approved 20 years ago.

The IASB approved Framework, Par. 104 (a) which is applicable in this case since there is no specific IFRS relating to the valuation of Issued Share capital, Retained Earnings and other items in Shareholders´ Equity during non-hyperinflationary periods, allows accountants to reject the stable measuring unit assumption during all levels of inflation and deflation when they choose to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as an alternative to measurement in nominal monetary units as applied in the traditional HCA model.

It is not generally appreciated by accountants that they are unknowingly responsible for the destruction of the real value of constant real value non-monetary items never or not fully updated or inflation-adjusted or maintained over time when they implement the real value destroying traditional HCA model: more specifically, the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during periods of inflation when they maintain it for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation. This lack of appreciation also applies to economists, business people and the public in general.

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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It is an essential function of accounting to maintain the real value of constant items during inflation

1970-style Constant Purchasing Power (CPP) inflation accounting was a popular but failed attempt at inflation accounting at that time. It was a form of inflation accounting which tried unsuccessfully to make corporate accounts more informative when comparing current transactions with previous transactions by updating ALL non-monetary items (without distinguishing between variable and constant real value non-monetary items) equally by means of the Consumer Price Index during high inflation.

Measurement in units of constant purchasing power was used for variable and constant balance sheet items during the high inflation 1970´s. 1970-style CPP inflation accounting was abandoned as a failed and discredited inflation accounting model for reasons explained below when general inflation decreased to low levels thereafter.
The function of financial accounting is not just “to convey value information about the economic resources of a business” as Harvey Kapnick stated in the 1976 Sax Lecture.

http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/DIGITAL/saxe/saxe_1975/kapnick_76.htm

It is an essential function of accounting to maintain the real value of constant items during inflation and deflation. This can only be achieved by inflation-adjusting all constant items by means of the CPI as approved by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) twenty years ago. Accountants have abdicated the essential financial capital maintenance function of accounting to their fiction that money is stable in real value during inflation and deflation. In so doing, they have in the past unknowingly destroyed and currently unknowingly destroy real value on a massive scale in the real economy when they implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption as part of the IASB approved real value destroying traditional Historical Cost Accounting model during non-hyperinflationary periods when they implement the stable measuring unit assumption for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation.


Kindest regards,

Nicolaas Smith

SA accountants´ stable measuring unit assumption costs SA about R200 billion each and every year

Hi,

I point out that SA accountants unknowingly destroy about R200 billion per annum in the SA real economy with their implementation of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption as it forms part of the traditional Historical Cost Accounting model.

Simply put: SA accountants unknowingly destroy about R200 billion per annum doing normal traditional Historical Cost accounting.

They can maintain about R200 billion PER ANNUM for an unlimited period of time in the SA real economy by updating all constant items as they are allowed to do 20 years ago by the IASB.

Maintaining constant items´ real values during low and hyperinflation is an essential function of accounting.

It is hard to believe that the IASB only requires / mandates / demands that during hyperinflation with IAS 29.

The IASB leaves it as an option during low inflation.

That Historical Cost Mistake costs SA about R200 billion per annum.

Kindest regards,

Nicolaas Smith

The battle between sustainable growth and sustainable value destruction

My comment below was promptly removed from

The Sunday Times article : Gill Marcus to replace Mboweni at SARB

“In terms of the Constitution, the primary objective of the South African Reserve Bank is to protect the value of the currency in the interest of balanced and sustainable growth,” Zuma said today. “ as per Bloombergs.

The implementation by SA accountants of the stable measuring unit assumption in their valuation of constant real value non-monetary items in the SA real economy is sustainable value destruction.

On the on hand, everyone in SA tries his or her best to contribute to sustainable growth in the SA economy.

At the very same time, SA accountants unknowingly perfected sustainable value destruction with their implementation of the stable measuring unit assumption. What brilliance in pervasive permanently sustainable value destruction throughout the whole economy: simply assume there is no inflation as far as constant items are concerned and you will destroy all of them never updated equally at the annual rate of inflation.

The stable measuring unit assumption: what a stroke of genius in sustainable value destruction.

For example: R3.338 billion at ABSA during 2008 under the Chairmanship of Gill Marcus. It is sustainable value destruction because ABSA´s accountants are unknowingly doing the same this year and will continue for an indefinite period of time as long as they implement the stable measuring unit assumption.

All SA accountants have to do to maintain about R200 billion in existing real value in the SA real economy and to stop unknowingly destroying about R200 billion in real value in the SA real economy is to freely select financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they have been authorized to do 20 years ago when the IASB approved Par. 104 (a) in the Framework.

Kindest regards,

Nicolaas Smith

Update to maintain

SA accountants do not discuss the possibility of destroying R85 bn in the real value of JSE listed companies´ Retained Profits.

They are doing it right now - as they did last year - and as they will do for as long as they refuse to update SA companies´ and banks´ Retained Earnings and Issued Share Capital as they can freely do in terms of the IASB´s Framework, Par. 104 (a) approved 20 years ago.

Makes you think, doesn´t it?

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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Cosatu: What do you want to do?

Cosatu: A 1% increase in the inflation target - ceteris paribus - destroys an extra R19.4 billion p.a. in the real value of M3.

SA accountants rejecting the stable measuring unit assumption - as they are allowed to do by IFRS - will add R85 bn per annum in the real value of Retained Earnings (SA real economy) in JSE companies.

Cosatu what do you want to do?

Destroy the monetary economy faster?

Sort out SA accountants and you grow the real economy by at least R85 bn per annum forever.

Kindest regards,

Nicolaas Smith

SA accountants unknowingly destroy the real value of constant items never updated

Inflation is a uniquely monetary phenomenon and can only destroy the real value of money and other monetary items over time. It has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.

SA accountants unknowingly, unintentionally and unwittingly do the destroying of the real value of constant items, e.g. Retained Earnings, Issued Share capital, other items in shareholder’s equity, salaries, wages, rentals, etc never or not fully updated or inflation-adjusted over time when they choose the real value destroying traditional HCA model during inflationary periods when they maintain the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation.

This includes the unknowing destruction by SA accountants of the real value of the Issued Share capital of SA companies and banks which do not have any or sufficient property or other variable real value non-monetary items to revalue to an amount at least equal to the updated original real value of all contributions to Shareholder’s Equity.

SA accountants unknowingly destroy the real value of the Retained Earnings of all SA companies and banks and the real value of the Issued Share capital of SA companies with no variable real value non-monetary items to revalue continuously at a rate equal to the inflation rate while they continue implementing the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during non-hyperinflationary conditions when the stable measuring unit assumption is maintained for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation.

It is correct, essential and compliant with IFRS to inflation-adjust or update or maintain constant real value non-monetary items by means of the CPI which is a general price index during all levels of inflation and deflation. The reason for this is that non-monetary items - both variable and constant real value non-monetary items - are expressed in terms of money, i.e. in terms of an unstable monetary unit of account which is the same as the unstable monetary medium of exchange.

Inflation destroys the real value of the unstable monetary medium of exchange - which is also the unstable monetary unit of account in accounting and the economy in general. Constant real value non-monetary items thus have to be updated or maintained at a rate equal to the rate of inflation or deflation in order to maintain their real values constant during inflation and deflation respectively because the unstable unit of measure in accounting is an unstable monetary unit of account and consequently never absolutely stable during periods of inflation and deflation.

It is not correct for accountants to inflation-adjust by means of the CPI, which is a general price index, variable real value non-monetary items which are subject to product specific inflation or price increases (e.g. properties, shares, etc.) for the purpose of valuing these variable items during the accounting period on a primary valuation basis during non-hyperinflationary periods.

These variable real value non-monetary items are generally subject to market based real value changes determined by supply and demand. They incorporate product or item specific price changes or product specific inflation where the word inflation is used to simply mean a product or product group price increase instead of the general use of the word in economics to mean the destruction of the real value of money over time, i.e. a general destruction of the purchasing power of money which results in an increase in the general price level over time.

Kindest regards,

Nicolaas Smith

The IASB´s Framework, Par. 104 (a) is not about inflation accounting. IAS 29 is.

During the period of high inflation in the 1970´s accountants tried various inflation accounting models in an attempt to adjust company financial reports supposedly to reflect the apparent effect of high inflation on non-monetary items.

During that period inflation accounting described a range of accounting models designed to correct comparison problems arising from historical cost accounting in the presence of high and hyperinflation.

It was and still is generally accepted that inflation affects the real value of non-monetary items. That is not true. Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items. Inflation is a uniquely monetary phenomenon.

It is not inflation, but, SA accountants selecting the Historical Cost Accounting model who unknowinlgy destroy the real value of SA constant real value non-monetary items never or not fully updated during non-hyperinflationary periods.

Inflation accounting models that were tried unsuccessfully in the 1970´s include Constant Purchasing Power inflation accounting and Current Cost Accounting.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an exposure draft in the United States in January, 1975, that required supplemental financial reports on a Constant Purchasing Power inflation accounting price-level basis. The Securities and Exchange Commission in the USA proposed in 1976 the disclosure of the current replacement cost of amortizable, depletable and depreciable assets used for production as well as most inventories at the financial year-end. It also proposed the disclosure of the approximate value of amortization, depletion and depreciation as well as the approximate value of cost of sales that would have been accounted in terms of the current replacement cost of productive capacity and inventories. Both supplemental Constant Purchasing Power inflation accounting financial statements and value accounting were experimented with in Canada. Australia tried both replacement-cost inflation accounting and CPP price-level inflation accounting. Netherland companies experimented with value accounting. Replacement-cost disclosures for equity capital financed items were considered in Germany. CPP inflation accounting supplemental financial statements were tried in Argentina. Brazil used various indexes to update constant and variable non-monetary items for the 30 years from 1964 to 1994. In the United Kingdom an original proposal of supplementary CPP financial accounting financial reports was replaced by the Sandilands Committee proposal for a value accounting approach for inventories, marketable securities and productive property.

South Africa had published a discussion paper on value accounting at the time.

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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Constant real value non-monetary item is a new concept

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". SARB.

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.

Price stability is a year-on-year increase in the Consumer Price Index of zero percent. A year-on-year increase in the CPI of above zero but below 2% is a high degree of price stability – it is not absolute price stability.

“The ECB´s Governing Council has announced a quantitative definition of price stability:


Price stability is defined as a year-on-year increase in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for the euro area of below 2%.


The Governing Council has also clarified that, in the pursuit of price stability, it aims to maintain inflation rates below, but close to, 2% over the medium term.”

http://www.ecb.int/mopo/strategy/pricestab/html/index.en.html

A below 2% year-on-year increase in the European Monetary Union’s harmonized CPI is the European Central Bank’s chosen definition of price stability. It is not the factual definition of absolute price stability. The SARB´s chosen definition of price stability is for “inflation to be within the target range of 3 to 6 per cent on a continuous basis”.

Accountants, on the other hand, simply assume that the unstable monetary unit of account or unstable monetary unit of measure is perfectly stable in non-hyperinflationary economies for the purpose of valuing constant real value non-monetary items and variable real value non-monetary items they value at Historical Cost. Changes in the general purchasing power or real value of the unstable monetary unit of measure (functional currency or money) are not considered to be sufficiently important to require adjustments to financial reports during non-hyperinflationary periods.

This led accountants to choose to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units and to choose to implement the real value destroying traditional Historical Cost Accounting model during non-hyperinflationary periods where under they select to maintain the stable measuring unit assumption for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation. They value both variable items stated at HC in terms of SA GAAP or IFRS, as well as constant items also stated at HC in terms of the HCA model, in nominal monetary units during non-hyperinflationary periods. Both HC variable and HC constant real value non-monetary items are thus considered by SA accountants to be simply HC non-monetary items.

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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Foshini fooling investors

Foshini published their Reviewed Unaudited Preliminary Condensed Results for the year ended 31 March 2009:

http://www.foschinigroup.co.za/ir/final_results/fr_2009/downloads/foschini_provincial_results_2009.pdf

First item under Salient Features:

• Retail turnover up 5,5% to R8,1 billion

In nominal terms, Yes!

But, we live in a real world.

In real terms:
• Retail turnover DOWN 2.8% to R8,1 billion

Who do they think they are fooling?

Foshini will most probably admit that all the nominal values they present in their results are obviously not real values.

I wonder if they will admit that all those nominal values are basically meaningless and that only their non-existent real values are the only meaningful values?

I also wonder whether they will own up to the fact that because their board of directors selected the historical cost basis to prepare their financial statements, their accountants have unknowingly destroyed R414 million (at May 09 CPI value) in the real value of their Retained Earingins during their 2008 financial year and that they are unknowingly destroying even more than that this current year?

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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Accountants´ unique unstable unit of account

Non-monetary items are not all fundamentally the same. Non-monetary items are subdivided into variable real value non-monetary items and constant real value non-monetary items. The three fundamentally different basic economic items are, in fact, monetary items, variable items and constant items although it is generally accepted that there are only two basic economic items, namely, monetary and non-monetary items.

Accountants regard all non-monetary items stated at Historical Cost, whether they are variable real value non-monetary HC items or constant real value non-monetary HC items to be fundamentally the same, namely, non-monetary items – or, items that are not monetary items - when they implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption as part of the traditional HCA model during non-hyperinflationary periods.

This is the result of money illusion. People make the mistake of thinking that money is stable in real value in a low inflationary environment. Inflation always destroys the real value of money over time. It is thus impossible for money to be stable in real value during inflation.

On the other hand, inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.

The unit of measure in accounting is the base money unit of the most relevant currency. Money is not stable in real value during inflation. This means that the unit of measure in accounting is not a stable unit of measure during inflation and deflation. Accountants´ unstable monetary unit of measure or unstable monetary unit of account is the only generally accepted unit of measure that is not an absolute value. All other generally accepted units of measure are absolute values, e.g. metre, yard, litre, kilogram, pound, mile, kilometre, inch, centimetre, gallon, ounce, etc.

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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Accounting constant items never updated at historical cost destroys their real values

The third economic item is a constant real value non-monetary item.

Constant items are real value non-monetary items with constant values over time.

Examples are issued share capital, retained earnings, all other items in shareholders´ equity, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes payable, taxes receivable, all income statement items, etc.

When constant items are never updated, their real values are destroyed by accountants implementing the stable measuring unit assumption.

Accountants normally update or inflation-adjust some income statement items, eg. salaries, wages, rentals, etc in all low inflation economies, including in SA.

The only way the real value of shareholders´equity can be maintained under Historical Cost Accounting is when 100% of the original updated real value of all contributions to shareholders´ equity are invested in revaluable fixed assets that are continuously revalued via the Revaluation Reserve.

It is very unlikely that any company invests 100% of the original updated real value of all contributions to shareholders´ equity in revaluable fixed assets.

This means that the real value of all retained earnings in all banks and companies are unknowingly being destroyed at a rate equal to the annual rate of inflation by SA accountants implementing the stable measuring unit assumption.

This amounts to about R200 billion per annum in the SA economy.

To be continued ......

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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Accounting a property value at historical cost does not destroy its real value.

The second economic item is a variable item.

Variable items are real value non-monetary items with variable real values over time.

Examples are property, plant equipment, inventory, quoted and unquoted shares, finished goods, foreign exchange, etc.

SA accountants value variable items correctly in term of SA Gaap or IFRS at, for example, market value, present value, fair value, recoverable value, net realizable value, etc.

SA accountants do not unknowingly destroy the real value of variable items because they value them at Historical Cost, for example.

When accountants value properties at historical cost, i.e. they show them at their original nominal values in the financial statements, they do not unkowingly destroy their real values.

When these properties are eventually sold, they will be priced at the market values at that time. No real value is unknowingly being destroyed like that.

Properties can be periodically revalued under Historical Cost Accounting rules and the increased values are debited to the property accounts and credited to the Revaluation Reserve account in the balance sheet.

Properties "valued" or stated at historical cost normally represent unknown hidden holding gains that are only realised when these properties are eventually sold in an open market.

To be continued .....

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
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Three, not two, fundamentally different items in the economy

Accountants are taught that there are only two fundamentally different items in the economy, namely, monetary and non-monetary items.

That is wrong.

There are three fundamentally different items in the economy:

1. Monetary items

2. Variable real value non-monetary items

3. Constant real value non-monetary items


Monetary items are money held and items with an underlying monetary nature.


Examples of monetary items in today’s economy are bank notes and coins, bank loans, bank account balances, treasury bills, commercial bonds, government bonds, mortgage bonds, student loans, car loans, consumer loans, credit card loans, notes payable, notes receivable, etc.

To be continued ......

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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The impact of inflation on the man in the street.

Milton Friedman correctly stated that "inflation is always and everwhere a monetary phenomenon." Inflation can only destroy the real value of the Rand and other monetary items like the real value of home loans originally made to home buyers. As inflation destroys the real value of the original loan amount at a higher rate than provided for by the bank at the time the loan was agreed, the bank has to increase interest on the loan to recover the updated real value of the loan plus a real profit margin.

Since inflation is only a monetary phenomenon, it is impossible - by definition - for inflation to have any effect on non-monetary items. Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.

Inflation can only destroy the real value of money (the Rand) and other monetary items. Monetary items are money (Rands) held and items with an underlying monetary nature.

Non-monetary items are all items that are not monetary items.

Non-monetary items are sub-divided in variable real value non-monetary items and constant real value non-monetary items. Variable items are non-monetary items with variable real values over time. Variable items are items like property, plant, equipment, shares, inventory, finished goods, etc.

Variable items are correctly valued by our accountants in terms of SA Gaap or IFRS at for example fair value, market value, net realizable value, present value, recoverable value, etc. There are no unresovled problems (except the current developments in fair value) with the valuation of variable items.

Constant items are non-monetary items with constant real values over time. Constant items are items like issued share capital, retained earnings, share premium, share discount, capital reserves, all other items in shareholders´ equity, trade debtors, trade creditors, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities, taxes payable, taxes receivable, all items in the profit and loss account, etc.

Our accountants value constant items at Historical Cost: i.e. they do not update their real values. The reason for this is that they choose to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units in terms of the IASB´s Framework, Par. 104 (a) which states: "Financial capital maintenance can be measured either in nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power."

Our accountants all choose nominal monetary units; i.e they all do their accounts based on the historical cost basis: i.e. they apply the stable measuring unit assumption. They assume that changes in the Rand´s purchasing power are not significant enough to require changes to the real values of constant items. They basically assume the Rand is perfectly stable ONLY for the valuation of the above constant items.

So what happens?

They correctly value certain income statement items in units of constant purchasing power. They thus inflation-adjust salaries, wages, rentals, etc annually like all other countries during low inflation.

BUT, when a SA company does not have revaluable property with an updated real value or hidden holding gains exactly equal to the original real value of all contributions to shareholders´ equity where they can continuously revalue the property or have sufficient holding gains to maintain shareholders´ equity´s real value, they destroy the real value of shareholders´ equity at a rate equal to the annual rate of inflation - because the Rand is the unstable unit of account in our economy - when these values are never updated or there is a lack of revaluable variable items during indefinite inflation.

It is not inflation destroying, for example R3 billion in the real value of ABSA´s retained earnings last year and the same this year. It is ABSA´s accountants valuing their retained earnings balance at historical cost because ABSA´s board of directors selected the historical cost basis for doing their accounts. ABSA´s board of directors can change their mind and select to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they can freely do in terms of the IASB´s Framework, Par. 104 (a) which is compliant with IFRS.

What will happen when ABSA do that? They will maintain about R3 billion in the real value of their retained earnings each and every year for an unlimited period of time - ceteris paribus - instead of destroying about that amount annually for an unlimited period of time - ceteris paribus - as they unknowingly and unintentionally did last year and as they unknowingly and unintentionally do this year..

What does this mean for the man in the street?

Our accountants unknowingly destroy about R200 billion annually in the SA real economy in this manner. This is a conservative estimate. When SA rejects the stable measuring unit assumption and implements finacial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as provided for 20 years ago by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) about R200 billion will be maintained in our real economy for an unlimited period of time. This is compliant with IFRS - see Par. 104 (a).

A boost of about R200 billion per annum for an unlimited period of time in the SA economy will lead to a stronger economy, more jobs, maintenance of investment capital in banks and companies, etc.

This will obviously benefit the man in the street.

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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Accountants´ unstable unit of account is the only unit of measure that is not an absolute value

Accountants regard all non-monetary items stated at Historical Cost, whether they are variable real value non-monetary HC items or constant real value non-monetary HC items to be fundamentally the same, namely, non-monetary items – or, items that are not monetary items - when they implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption as part of the traditional HCA model during non-hyperinflationary periods.

This is the result of money illusion. People make the mistake of thinking that money is stable in real value in a low inflationary environment. Inflation always destroys the real value of money over time. It is thus impossible for money to be stable in real value during inflation.

On the other hand, inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.
The unit of measure in accounting is the base money unit of the most relevant currency. Money is not stable in real value during inflation. This means that the unit of measure in accounting is not a stable unit of measure during inflation and deflation.

Accountants´ unstable monetary unit of measure or unstable monetary unit of account is the only generally accepted unit of measure that is not an absolute value. All other generally accepted units of measure are absolute values, e.g. metre, yard, litre, kilogram, pound, mile, kilometre, inch, centimetre, gallon, ounce, etc.

Accountants generally choose the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption

It is generally accepted that the economy is divided in two parts: the monetary economy and the non-monetary or real economy. It is also generally accepted that there are two basic economic items in the economy: monetary items and non-monetary items. Monetary items are money held and items with an underlying monetary nature. Non-monetary items are all items that are not monetary items.
No distinction is generally made between the valuation of variable real value non-monetary items, e.g. property, plant, equipment, inventory, etc valued at Historical Cost and constant real value non-monetary items, e.g. Issued Share capital, Retained Earnings, Shareholders´ Equity and most items in the income statement also valued at Historical Cost.

This is the result of the fact that the economy is based on the Historical Cost paradigm. Historical Cost is the traditional measurement basis in accounting. It is thus generally accepted for accountants to choose to implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during non-hyperinflationary periods.
One of the basic principles in accounting is “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.
Non-monetary items are not all fundamentally the same. Non-monetary items are subdivided into variable real value non-monetary items and constant real value non-monetary items. The three fundamentally different basic economic items are, in fact, monetary items, variable items and constant items although it is generally accepted that there are only two basic economic items, namely, monetary and non-monetary items.

ABSA accountants are busy unknowingly destroying about R3 billion right now

SA banks are safe according to the SARB

SA banks may be adequately capitalized as per the SARB.

What the SARB can not deny is that the banks´ accountants are unknowingly destroying the real value of their Retained Earnings at 8% per annum because their Boards of Directors choose to implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation.

ABSA´s accountants are currently unknowingly destroying about R3 billion in the real value of ABSA´s Retained Earnings during 2009. I dare the SARB or anyone to prove me wrong.

I will still calculate the unintentional real value destruction in the other banks by their accountants because their Boards chose the Historical Cost basis.

They destroyed R3.338 billion during 2008. They will carry on at that rate - ceteris paribus - while they carry on acting dumb and making as if there is no such thing as inflation as far as the valuation of constant items are concerned.

Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items. Inflation can only and does only destroy the real value of the Rand. Nothing else. However, the Rand is the unstable unit of account in the SA economy. ONLY accountants ASSUME it is stable ONLY for the valuing of constant items - nothing else.


The real values of constant items never maintained are unknowingly being destroyed by SA accountants choosing to implement the real value destroying Historical Cost Accounting model which includes the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption.

When they choose to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as authorized in the IASB´s Framework, Par. 104 (a) twenty years ago and which is compliant with IFRS, they will stop this unintentional destruction. Instead they will maintain those values for an unlimited period of time and the SA economy will be boosted by about R200 billion per annum for an indefinite period of time.

So, it is not inflation doing the destroying in constant items - it is our accountants implementing the stable measuring unit assumption.

I dare anyone - including SARB - to prove me wrong.

© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved

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Normal Rands and Rands of constant purchasing power are not the same.

When SA accountants choose to measure financial capital maintenance in real value maintaining units of constant purchasing power (the CIPPA model) – as they can freely do in terms of the IASB´s Framework, Par. 104 (a) - they will maintain all constant item real values over time including Shareholders´ Equity in companies that at least break even – all else being equal - whether companies have fixed property or other variable items to revalue or not.

Variable Items


SA accountants value variable real value non-monetary items in terms of IFRS or SA GAAP. “Listed companies use IFRS and the unlisted companies could use either IFRS or Statements of GAAP.”


IAS 16 deals with Property Plant & Equipment. It allows two methods of valuation or measurement; either historical cost or revaluation based on fair value. The charge for depreciation relates to the carrying value, whether historical cost or fair value. It is not acceptable under HCA to index up the original cost of an asset by reference to subsequent inflation or to base the depreciation charge on that indexed amount.


There are similar requirements in respect of intangible assets (IAS 38) and inventories (IAS 2).


IAS 39 requires fair values to be applied in valuing investments and derivative financial instruments. A historical cost basis of accounting is not acceptable for these items.

The real values of variable real value non-monetary items, e.g. property, are not destroyed when accountants value them at Historical Cost in terms of IFRS or SA GAAP. These items will be fair valued when they are eventually sold.

Monetary items

Low inflation is what long term sustainable economic growth is built on. Alan Greenspan.
SA accountants value monetary items at their original nominal monetary values; that is, at their original HC values since monetary items can not be updated or indexed during the current financial period for the purpose of

1.accounting their values during the reporting period,
2.determining the profit or loss for the reporting period, and
3.measuring financial capital maintenance in either nominal monetary units or constant purchasing power units
during inflation or deflation.

Inflation (some people will hold Tito Mboweni responsible) – not SA accountants - destroys the real value of the Rand and other SA monetary items over time at the annual rate of inflation as determined by the change in the CPI.

Cumulative SA inflation from January 1981 to April 2009: 1 354%

Cumulative SA inflation from April 1994 to April 2009: 161%

Source of base data used for calculations: Statistics South Africa

The internal real value of the Rand is automatically adjusted downwards as it is being destroyed by the economic process of inflation in SA´s low inflationary economy as indicated by the rate of change in the CPI. Inflation destroys the real value of monetary items under any accounting model and also when no accounting model is implemented; that is, when a business does not account its economic activities; for example, street vendors. The accounting model has no affect on the real value of monetary items during the reporting period.

Double entry accounting cannot maintain the real value of monetary items during the reporting period. It is not an attribute of double entry accounting to maintain the real value of monetary items during the reporting period. Inflation destroys the real value of money and other monetary items no matter which accounting model is used. That is why low inflation is so critical for long term sustainable economic growth.

Constant items


SA accountants can choose to measure financial capital maintenance in either nominal monetary units (the real value destroying traditional HCA model) when they maintain the stable measuring unit assumption for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation or in real value maintaining units of constant purchasing power (the CIPPA model). Both models are approved by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a).


It is very obvious that how SA accountants as a group choose to measure financial capital maintenance does make a big difference to the underlying real value of constant items like Retained Earnings in the SA economy and has important effects on the economy as a whole.
I wrote a letter “Accounting for Inflation” to the Financial Mail which was published in the 9th May 2008 edition in which I stated:

“SA accountants freely destroy real value in the real economy with their assumption that the rand is perfectly stable only for the purpose of accounting constant value items, and have absolutely no concern about the negative impact this has on sustainable economic growth.

The destruction of real value in the real economy by SA accountants will stop when they stop their assumption that the rand is perfectly stable only for the purpose of accounting constant items never or not fully updated.

We will still have 10,6% cash inflation in the monetary economy - all else being equal - but we will have 0% inflation in the real economy with an (as for now unknown) increase in GDP and sustainable economic growth in SA.

No-one stops us from revoking the stable measuring unit assumption.

The historical cost accounting model is not required by SA law, or by Generally Accepted Accounting Practice or the International Accounting Standards Board.”
Rejecting the stable measuring unit assumption is simply a logical, but, long overdue improvement in basic accounting approved by the IASB 20 years ago which, I am confident, will be speedily implemented after proper due process in South Africa.


© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission

Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items

Inflation, being a uniquely monetary phenomenon, can not, by definition, destroy the real value of non-monetary items. Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.

It is SA accountants’ choice of accounting model that determines whether they carry on currently unintentionally destroying real value in constant real value non-monetary items never or not fully updated (the real value destroying traditional HCA model) when they maintain the stable measuring unit assumption for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation or maintain those values in future for an unlimited period of time (the IASB approved real value maintaining CIPPA model) – all else being equal.

It is not inflation that is doing the destroying in the real value of constant items. It is our accountants unknowingly doing the destroying when they implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation.

This is the case with all constant items never or not fully inflation-adjusted including the unintentional destruction by SA accountants of the real value of Shareholders´ Equity in SA banks and companies which do not have sufficient variable items that can be or are revalued via the Revaluation Reserve or with insufficient holding gains to compensate for the real value shortfall in Shareholders´ Equity under HCA.