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 items thus have to be updated or maintained or valued at a rate equal to the rate of inflation or deflation, i.e. valued in units of constant purchasing power, 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 hardly every absolutely stable during periods of inflation and deflation.
Variable items do not need to be and are not valued in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation because they are valued in terms of SA GAAP or IFRS at, for example, fair value, market value, present value, recoverable value, net realizable value, etc which take inflation - amongst many other things - into account.
Variable items are only valued in units of constant purchasing power during hyperinflation as required by the IASB in IAS 29.
There is a school of thought that 2% inflation is completely unharmful and that it has no disadvantages compared to absolute price stability. This is not correct. 2% inflation will destroy 50% of all Retained Profits over 35 years – all else being equal – when the stable measuring unit assumption is implemented for an indefinite period of time during indefinite inflation. This is what is happening in the European Monetary Union and in the USA.
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.
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 and hyperinflation.
Measurement in units of constant purchasing power was used for variable AND constant items during the high inflation 1970´s. 1970-style CPP inflation accounting was abandoned as a failed and discredited inflation accounting model when general inflation decreased to low levels thereafter.
Summary: Balance sheet constant items have to be inflation-adjusted during low inflation exactly the same as salaries and wages because money is an unstable unit of account. Variable items are valued in terms of IFRS or SA GAAP. Product inflation is incorporated in the market prices and other measurement bases of variable items. Variable items are not inflation-adjusted during low inflation - only during hyperinflation as required by IAS 29.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Monday, 14 September 2009
It is not inflation doing the destroying
It was stated in 2008 that there is no doubt that inflation destroys the real value of monetary as well as non-monetary items that do not maintain their real value in terms of purchasing power. Reference: This blog.
I agreed at the time. Subsequently it became very clear to me that inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items over time. The understanding of the real value destroying effect of the stable measuring unit assumption on constant items never or not fully updated is a work in progress. Not inflation, per se, but SA accountants´ implementation of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation as it forms part of the real value destroying HCA model, destroys the real value of constant real value non-monetary items never or not fully updated over time.
There is no substance in the statement that inflation destroys the real value of non-monetary items which do not hold their real value over time. Inflation has no effect on the real value on non-monetary items over time.
“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.
SA accountants unknowingly destroy or maintain (please note: not create) the real value of constant real value non-monetary items (please note: not variable real value non-monetary items) depending on whether they choose the IASB approved real value destroying traditional HCA model under which they implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during non-hyperinflationary periods for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation or the IASB approved real value maintaining Constant ITEM Purchasing Power Accounting model under which they select to reject the stable measuring unit assumption at all levels of inflation and deflation for an unlimited period of time.
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. See GUCENME and ARSOY above. 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 they maintain the stable measuring unit assumption for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation.
Summary: Inflation only destroys the real value of money. It has no effect on non-monetary items. Not inflation, but, SA accountants implementing the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption are unknowingly destroying the real value of constant items never updated in the SA real economy on a massive scale. The destruction stops when they value constant items in units of constant purchasing power.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission
I agreed at the time. Subsequently it became very clear to me that inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items over time. The understanding of the real value destroying effect of the stable measuring unit assumption on constant items never or not fully updated is a work in progress. Not inflation, per se, but SA accountants´ implementation of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation as it forms part of the real value destroying HCA model, destroys the real value of constant real value non-monetary items never or not fully updated over time.
There is no substance in the statement that inflation destroys the real value of non-monetary items which do not hold their real value over time. Inflation has no effect on the real value on non-monetary items over time.
“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.
SA accountants unknowingly destroy or maintain (please note: not create) the real value of constant real value non-monetary items (please note: not variable real value non-monetary items) depending on whether they choose the IASB approved real value destroying traditional HCA model under which they implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption during non-hyperinflationary periods for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation or the IASB approved real value maintaining Constant ITEM Purchasing Power Accounting model under which they select to reject the stable measuring unit assumption at all levels of inflation and deflation for an unlimited period of time.
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. See GUCENME and ARSOY above. 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 they maintain the stable measuring unit assumption for an unlimited period of time during indefinite inflation.
Summary: Inflation only destroys the real value of money. It has no effect on non-monetary items. Not inflation, but, SA accountants implementing the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption are unknowingly destroying the real value of constant items never updated in the SA real economy on a massive scale. The destruction stops when they value constant items in units of constant purchasing power.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Intrinsic value increases simply with accounting policy change
The intrinsic value of a company is its actual value based on an underlying perception of its true value including all aspects of the business, in terms of both tangible and intangible factors. This value may or may not be the same as the current market value.
Most often intrinsic worth is estimated by analyzing a company's fundamentals.
Intrinsic value is the actual value of company, as opposed to its market price or book value. The intrinsic value includes other variables such as brand name, trademarks, and copyrights that are often difficult to calculate and sometimes not accurately reflected in the market price. One way to look at it is that the market capitalization is the price (i.e. what investors are willing to pay for the company) and intrinsic value is the value (i.e. what the company is really worth). Different investors use different techniques to calculate intrinsic value.
There is no universally accepted way to obtain this figure.
The fact that intrinsic value is the actual financial value of a company based upon the value found directly within the business and that it refers to the value of a company which is contained in the company itself means that the intrinsic value of all companies with positive shareholders equity will increase simply with a change in accounting policy from the real value destroying traditional Historical Cost Accounting model to measuring financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as authorized by the International Accounting Standards Board in the Framework, Par. 104 (a).
Par. 104 (a) states: “Financial capital maintenance can be calculated in either nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power.”
This will increase the intrinsic value of most probably all companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and most unlisted companies in SA.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
PinkPolkaDot summary: Inflation-adjusting companies´ capital and retained profits (like accountants do with salaries) plus other constant items, will increase companies´ internal funding from equity (their capital will be maintained instead of unknowingly destroyed by their accountants) and increase their intrinsic values.
Most often intrinsic worth is estimated by analyzing a company's fundamentals.
Intrinsic value is the actual value of company, as opposed to its market price or book value. The intrinsic value includes other variables such as brand name, trademarks, and copyrights that are often difficult to calculate and sometimes not accurately reflected in the market price. One way to look at it is that the market capitalization is the price (i.e. what investors are willing to pay for the company) and intrinsic value is the value (i.e. what the company is really worth). Different investors use different techniques to calculate intrinsic value.
There is no universally accepted way to obtain this figure.
The fact that intrinsic value is the actual financial value of a company based upon the value found directly within the business and that it refers to the value of a company which is contained in the company itself means that the intrinsic value of all companies with positive shareholders equity will increase simply with a change in accounting policy from the real value destroying traditional Historical Cost Accounting model to measuring financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as authorized by the International Accounting Standards Board in the Framework, Par. 104 (a).
Par. 104 (a) states: “Financial capital maintenance can be calculated in either nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power.”
This will increase the intrinsic value of most probably all companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and most unlisted companies in SA.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
PinkPolkaDot summary: Inflation-adjusting companies´ capital and retained profits (like accountants do with salaries) plus other constant items, will increase companies´ internal funding from equity (their capital will be maintained instead of unknowingly destroyed by their accountants) and increase their intrinsic values.
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Inflation accounting is only implemented during hyperinflation
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 and implementing the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption who unknowingly and unintentionally 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 (CPPA) 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.
Presently, inflation accounting describes a complete price-level inflation accounting model, namely the Constant Purchasing Power inflation accounting model defined in IAS 29 Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies required by the IASB to be implemented during hyperinflation. It serves to maintain the real values of all non-monetary items – variable and constant real value non-monetary items - by inflation-adjusting them by means of the CPI during hyperinflation which is an exceptional circumstance according to the IASB.
“In a hyperinflationary economy, reporting of operating results and financial position in the local currency without restatement is not useful. Money loses value at such a rate that comparison of amounts from transactions and other events that have occurred at different times, even within the same accounting period, is misleading.” IAS 29.2
Constant ITEM Purchasing Power Accounting (CIPPA) during low inflation as authorized by the IASB in 1989 in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) which states
"Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either units of nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power."
is not an inflation accounting model. It is a real value maintaining basic accounting model alternative to the real value destroying traditional Historical Cost Accounting model which includes the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
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 and implementing the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption who unknowingly and unintentionally 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 (CPPA) 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.
Presently, inflation accounting describes a complete price-level inflation accounting model, namely the Constant Purchasing Power inflation accounting model defined in IAS 29 Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies required by the IASB to be implemented during hyperinflation. It serves to maintain the real values of all non-monetary items – variable and constant real value non-monetary items - by inflation-adjusting them by means of the CPI during hyperinflation which is an exceptional circumstance according to the IASB.
“In a hyperinflationary economy, reporting of operating results and financial position in the local currency without restatement is not useful. Money loses value at such a rate that comparison of amounts from transactions and other events that have occurred at different times, even within the same accounting period, is misleading.” IAS 29.2
Constant ITEM Purchasing Power Accounting (CIPPA) during low inflation as authorized by the IASB in 1989 in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) which states
"Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either units of nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power."
is not an inflation accounting model. It is a real value maintaining basic accounting model alternative to the real value destroying traditional Historical Cost Accounting model which includes the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Gold price high current value changes monthly
Real value is a constant, but, inflation-adjusted Historical Cost nominal monetary values change every time the Consumer Price Index related to the measurement unit, the US Dollar in the case of the gold price, changes.
For example, the gold price high of $2352.80 (CPI 215.351 07-09) on 21st January, 1980:
If inflation should increase dramatically in the USA and the CPI increases to 250 then the inflation-adjusted value for the 21st Jan, 1980 high would change to $2731.
Historical Cost nominal monetary values change every time the current CPI changes. That is logical. As current money is worth less and less as its real value is destroyed by inflation, past Historical Cost nominal monetary values have to be adjusted accordingly.
Historical real values are constant but their current nominal monetary values change every time the CPI of the respective monetary measuring unit changes.
This does not apply to monetary item values during the current financial period.
Gold is not a monetary item. Gold is a variable real value non-monetary item with its price expressed in terms of the US Dollar which is the monetary medium of exchange used.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
For example, the gold price high of $2352.80 (CPI 215.351 07-09) on 21st January, 1980:
If inflation should increase dramatically in the USA and the CPI increases to 250 then the inflation-adjusted value for the 21st Jan, 1980 high would change to $2731.
Historical Cost nominal monetary values change every time the current CPI changes. That is logical. As current money is worth less and less as its real value is destroyed by inflation, past Historical Cost nominal monetary values have to be adjusted accordingly.
Historical real values are constant but their current nominal monetary values change every time the CPI of the respective monetary measuring unit changes.
This does not apply to monetary item values during the current financial period.
Gold is not a monetary item. Gold is a variable real value non-monetary item with its price expressed in terms of the US Dollar which is the monetary medium of exchange used.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Money is the only unstable unit of measure
Money is the only unstable unit of measure
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 measurement that is not an absolute value. It does not contain a fundamental constant. All other generally accepted units of measurement of time, distance, velocity, mass, momentum, energy and weight are absolute values, e.g. second, minute, hour, metre, yard, litre, kilogram, pound, mile, kilometre, inch, centimetre, gallon, ounce, etc.
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. 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 Historical Cost in terms of SA GAAP or IFRS, as well as constant items also stated at Historical Cost in terms of the Historical Cost Accounting 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.
There is a fixation in accounting that constant purchasing power inflation-adjustment simply means adjusting company financial statements mainly to make current year statements more comparable with previous year statements.
Inflation-adjustment is not automatically thought of as affecting the fundamental values of the underlying resources although that is what is done with world wide annual inflation-adjustment of salaries, wages, rentals, etc. The two processes are seen as different processes.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
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 measurement that is not an absolute value. It does not contain a fundamental constant. All other generally accepted units of measurement of time, distance, velocity, mass, momentum, energy and weight are absolute values, e.g. second, minute, hour, metre, yard, litre, kilogram, pound, mile, kilometre, inch, centimetre, gallon, ounce, etc.
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. 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 Historical Cost in terms of SA GAAP or IFRS, as well as constant items also stated at Historical Cost in terms of the Historical Cost Accounting 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.
There is a fixation in accounting that constant purchasing power inflation-adjustment simply means adjusting company financial statements mainly to make current year statements more comparable with previous year statements.
Inflation-adjustment is not automatically thought of as affecting the fundamental values of the underlying resources although that is what is done with world wide annual inflation-adjustment of salaries, wages, rentals, etc. The two processes are seen as different processes.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Real News - Relatively low gold price today
The gold price today at around $1000 is not a very high price compared to its previous all time real value high on 21 January, 1980. Imagine the psychological effect if the price must go up to its real value price in 1980.
US CPI
Jan 1980 77.8 Gold Price $850
Jul 2009 215.351 Inflation adjusted $2352
A $1000 gold price today (July 09 CPI) is equivalent to $361 in Jan 1980 or only 42% of the top real value price.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
US CPI
Jan 1980 77.8 Gold Price $850
Jul 2009 215.351 Inflation adjusted $2352
A $1000 gold price today (July 09 CPI) is equivalent to $361 in Jan 1980 or only 42% of the top real value price.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Capital destroyed by ABSA FirstRand and African Bank CAs
EXISTING real value unknowingly and unintentionally DESTROYED in three SA banks´ Retained Profits during their last financial year because their Boards of Directors refused to maintain - AT NO EXTRA COST - the real values of these banks´ EXISTING equity in units of constant purchasing power as it was freely in their power to do since the IASB authorized them to do that 20 years ago when it approved the Framework, Par. 104 (a) which states:
"Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power."
African Bank Group R 299 million
Chartered Accountants on the Board of Directors during last financial year:
David Woollam CA(SA)
David Gibbon CA(SA)
Brian Steele BCom, CA(SA), MBA
Independent Auditors during last financial year:
Deloitte & Touche
Partner: G M Pinnock CA(SA)
ABSA R 3 388 million
Chartered Accountants on the Board of Directors during last financial year::
Group Chief Executive: S F Booysen DCom (Acc), CA(SA)
D C Arnold CA(SA), FCMA, AMP
S A Fakie BCom CA(SA)
B P Connellan CA(SA)
J H Shindehutte Bcom (Hons), CA(SA), HDip Tax
Y Z Cuba BCom (Stats), BCom (Hons) (Acc), CA(SA)
Independent Auditors during last financial year:
PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc.
Director: T Winterboer CA(SA)
Ernst & Young Inc.
Director: E van Rooyen CA(SA)
FirstRand Group R 4 158 million
Chartered Accountants on the Board of Directors during last financial year:
L L Dippenaar MCom, CA(SA)
D M Falck CA(SA)
P M Goss BEcon (Hons), BAccSc (Hons), CA(SA)
S E Nxasana BCom, Bcompt (Hons), CA(SA)
A T Nzimande BCom, CA(SA)
R K Store CA(SA)
Independent auditors during last financial year:
PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc.
Director: F Tonelli CA(SA)
The above Board of Directors are unknowingly and unintentionally DESTROYING at least the same EXISTING amounts during the current financial year. They will carry on unknowingly (?) and unintentionally (?) DESTROYING these banks´ EXISTING real values in their EXISTING Retained Profits as long as they refuse to maintain these banks´ EXISTING Shareholders´ equity in units of constant purchasing power as they have been authorized to do by the IASB in 1989 and which is compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards.
The above applies to all SA banks and companies.
The above is valid when the above Boards of Directors refuse to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasin power during an indefinite period of time during indefinite low inflation.
The above amounts are the real values these Boards of Directors will maintain in these banks forever each and every year - ceteris paribus - as long as these banks break even as soon as they simply select to value all constant items in the banks in unit of constant purchasing power. It was authorized by the IASB 20 years ago and is compliant with IFRS. These Boards of Directors still refuse point blank to do it. They will rather stubbornly carry on destroying the banks´ capital.
Strange but true.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
"Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power."
African Bank Group R 299 million
Chartered Accountants on the Board of Directors during last financial year:
David Woollam CA(SA)
David Gibbon CA(SA)
Brian Steele BCom, CA(SA), MBA
Independent Auditors during last financial year:
Deloitte & Touche
Partner: G M Pinnock CA(SA)
ABSA R 3 388 million
Chartered Accountants on the Board of Directors during last financial year::
Group Chief Executive: S F Booysen DCom (Acc), CA(SA)
D C Arnold CA(SA), FCMA, AMP
S A Fakie BCom CA(SA)
B P Connellan CA(SA)
J H Shindehutte Bcom (Hons), CA(SA), HDip Tax
Y Z Cuba BCom (Stats), BCom (Hons) (Acc), CA(SA)
Independent Auditors during last financial year:
PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc.
Director: T Winterboer CA(SA)
Ernst & Young Inc.
Director: E van Rooyen CA(SA)
FirstRand Group R 4 158 million
Chartered Accountants on the Board of Directors during last financial year:
L L Dippenaar MCom, CA(SA)
D M Falck CA(SA)
P M Goss BEcon (Hons), BAccSc (Hons), CA(SA)
S E Nxasana BCom, Bcompt (Hons), CA(SA)
A T Nzimande BCom, CA(SA)
R K Store CA(SA)
Independent auditors during last financial year:
PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc.
Director: F Tonelli CA(SA)
The above Board of Directors are unknowingly and unintentionally DESTROYING at least the same EXISTING amounts during the current financial year. They will carry on unknowingly (?) and unintentionally (?) DESTROYING these banks´ EXISTING real values in their EXISTING Retained Profits as long as they refuse to maintain these banks´ EXISTING Shareholders´ equity in units of constant purchasing power as they have been authorized to do by the IASB in 1989 and which is compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards.
The above applies to all SA banks and companies.
The above is valid when the above Boards of Directors refuse to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasin power during an indefinite period of time during indefinite low inflation.
The above amounts are the real values these Boards of Directors will maintain in these banks forever each and every year - ceteris paribus - as long as these banks break even as soon as they simply select to value all constant items in the banks in unit of constant purchasing power. It was authorized by the IASB 20 years ago and is compliant with IFRS. These Boards of Directors still refuse point blank to do it. They will rather stubbornly carry on destroying the banks´ capital.
Strange but true.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Capital destruction in nominal monetary units
Capital is a constant real value non-monetary item. Its real value can be maintained constant forever in all companies at least breaking even - all else being equal - only when financial capital maintenance is measured in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation as the IASB authorized 20 years ago in the Framework, Par. 104 (a).
At continuous 6% annual inflation a nominal monetary item´s real value is destroyed as follows:
46% after 10 years
93% after 44 years
99% after 75 years
Capital´s real value can be maintained constant forever - ceteris paribus.
A SA accountant accounts capital once and it instantaneously loses its constant item status and is magically turned into a depreciating monetary item with the SA accountant unknowingly destroying its real value as set out above. This is the case in all SA companies which do not have 100% of all contributions to equity (excluding the revaluation reserve) invested in variable item fixed assets that can be or are revalued via the revaluation reserve.
In principle SA has never ever had and currently does not have any constant item Retained Profits. All SA´s supposedly "constant item" Retained Profits are simply CASH. Not cash in the bank earning interest but CASH as in notes and coins kept under the mattress with their real values being destroyed by inflation.
The IASB went to great lengths in IAS 29 to clearly define capital as a non-monetary item. That was a total waste of time in 1989 when it then went ahead to "approve" at the same time the impossible process of financial capital "maintenance" in nominal monetary units during low inflation.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
At continuous 6% annual inflation a nominal monetary item´s real value is destroyed as follows:
46% after 10 years
93% after 44 years
99% after 75 years
Capital´s real value can be maintained constant forever - ceteris paribus.
A SA accountant accounts capital once and it instantaneously loses its constant item status and is magically turned into a depreciating monetary item with the SA accountant unknowingly destroying its real value as set out above. This is the case in all SA companies which do not have 100% of all contributions to equity (excluding the revaluation reserve) invested in variable item fixed assets that can be or are revalued via the revaluation reserve.
In principle SA has never ever had and currently does not have any constant item Retained Profits. All SA´s supposedly "constant item" Retained Profits are simply CASH. Not cash in the bank earning interest but CASH as in notes and coins kept under the mattress with their real values being destroyed by inflation.
The IASB went to great lengths in IAS 29 to clearly define capital as a non-monetary item. That was a total waste of time in 1989 when it then went ahead to "approve" at the same time the impossible process of financial capital "maintenance" in nominal monetary units during low inflation.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
The art of turning capital into CASH in a flash
SA accountants are great performing artists. They get their biggest inspiration from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants´ definition of accounting that starts with the words: The art of …
SA accountants have perfected the art of turning capital into CASH in a flash. They wait patiently for SA entrepreneurs to start companies to increase the wealth of the nation. Companies need accountants to do their books. SA accountants confidently step forward and state: Trust me, I’m an accountant.
SA entrepreneurs have to use some of the existing wealth of the nation to serve as the investment capital of their companies.
The entrepreneurs entrust the accounting of this investment capital to their trusted accountants. SA accountants confidently value this capital in nominal monetary units on the basis that the International Accounting Standards Board states that it is humanly possible to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units during low inflation. (It isn´t.)
No-one has told SA accountants up till now that this is only possible at zero inflation. They thus happily value SA entrepreneurs´ capital in nominal monetary units and instantaneously turn that hard earned capital into CASH.
We all know what happens to CASH: its real value is destroyed by inflation.
SA accountants unknowingly destroy the real value of shareholders´ equity never updated at a rate equal to the inflation rate. This is the case in all SA companies which do not have 100% of all contributions to equity (excluding the revaluation reserve) invested in variable item fixed assets that can be or are revalued via the revaluation reserve.
SA accountants do their famous stable measuring unit assumption trick and instantaneously turn SA entrepreneurs´ capital into plain old CASH the very first instant they account that capital in nominal monetary units during low inflation. Real value destroyed forever at a rate equal to the rate of inflation or for as long as they carry on with their infamous stable measuring unit assumption.
Snap: nominal monetary units, and it’s done: Capital to CASH in a flash.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
PS The real value of R 1 000 000 in Retained Profits contributed on 1st Jan 1981 which are still in Retained Profits today but updated at the rate of inflation: R 14 882 000. Real value destroyed since 1981 R13 882 000.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
SA accountants have perfected the art of turning capital into CASH in a flash. They wait patiently for SA entrepreneurs to start companies to increase the wealth of the nation. Companies need accountants to do their books. SA accountants confidently step forward and state: Trust me, I’m an accountant.
SA entrepreneurs have to use some of the existing wealth of the nation to serve as the investment capital of their companies.
The entrepreneurs entrust the accounting of this investment capital to their trusted accountants. SA accountants confidently value this capital in nominal monetary units on the basis that the International Accounting Standards Board states that it is humanly possible to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units during low inflation. (It isn´t.)
No-one has told SA accountants up till now that this is only possible at zero inflation. They thus happily value SA entrepreneurs´ capital in nominal monetary units and instantaneously turn that hard earned capital into CASH.
We all know what happens to CASH: its real value is destroyed by inflation.
SA accountants unknowingly destroy the real value of shareholders´ equity never updated at a rate equal to the inflation rate. This is the case in all SA companies which do not have 100% of all contributions to equity (excluding the revaluation reserve) invested in variable item fixed assets that can be or are revalued via the revaluation reserve.
SA accountants do their famous stable measuring unit assumption trick and instantaneously turn SA entrepreneurs´ capital into plain old CASH the very first instant they account that capital in nominal monetary units during low inflation. Real value destroyed forever at a rate equal to the rate of inflation or for as long as they carry on with their infamous stable measuring unit assumption.
Snap: nominal monetary units, and it’s done: Capital to CASH in a flash.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
PS The real value of R 1 000 000 in Retained Profits contributed on 1st Jan 1981 which are still in Retained Profits today but updated at the rate of inflation: R 14 882 000. Real value destroyed since 1981 R13 882 000.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
PricewaterhouseCoopers clueless about monetary and constant item real value
Dr Roelof Botha, an economic adviser to PricewaterhouseCoopers, does not agree with these levels of increase. "In the private sector increases exceeding consumer price inflation (CPI) may be justified if the company's productivity increases.
If institutions like the Reserve Bank and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) - which have no effect on the country's productivity and add no value to the economy - award salary increases higher than the CPI, they violate their own principles. Fin24
Dr Roelof Botha from PricewaterhouseCoopers was commenting on the salary increases above the inflation rate at the SARB.
It is unbelievable that an economic adviser to PricewaterhouseCoopers would state that the SARB has no effect on the country´s productivity and add no value to the economy.
A 1% drop in the inflation rate maintains instead of destroy R20 billion per annum in the SA monetary economy. Tito Mboweni and his team at the SARB have succeeded in maintaining average annual inflation at 6% per annum for the last 10 years compared to 12% average annual inflation during the last 12 years of apartheid rule. They have thus maintained instead of destroyed R120 billion per annum in the SA monetary economy during the last 10 years.
Basically the SARB has added R120 billion PER ANNUM to the economy during the last 10 years. This will carry on in the future as long as inflation can be maintained at or below 6%.
PWC´s Dr Botha regards R120 billion per annum as "no value".
The 50% reduction in average annual inflation also reduced by 50% the amount of real value SA accountants at PricewaterhouseCoopers´ clients and all other SA companies unknowingly destroy in constant items never updated in the SA real economy. PWC signed most of their clients´ accounts off as "fairly presenting their businesses."
PricewaterhouseCoopers is not even remotely aware of the unknowing and unintentional destruction in the real value of constant items never updated by all the accountants at all their clients. PWC is blisfully lost in Historical Cost accounting - blindfolded by their complete support of the implementation of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption in the SA economy.
PricewaterhouseCoopers´ Dr Botha will obviously state that Gideon Gono, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had not the slightes effect on the Zimbabwean economy when he single handedly wiped out 100% of the real value of the Zimbabwe Dollar in the Zim monetary economy with hyperinflation at billions of percent and eliminated the ZimDollar completely from the Zim economy in that fashion.
The blatant lack of basic understanding of measurement of monetary as well as constant item real value in the SA economy by PricewaterhouseCoopers is shocking.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
If institutions like the Reserve Bank and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) - which have no effect on the country's productivity and add no value to the economy - award salary increases higher than the CPI, they violate their own principles. Fin24
Dr Roelof Botha from PricewaterhouseCoopers was commenting on the salary increases above the inflation rate at the SARB.
It is unbelievable that an economic adviser to PricewaterhouseCoopers would state that the SARB has no effect on the country´s productivity and add no value to the economy.
A 1% drop in the inflation rate maintains instead of destroy R20 billion per annum in the SA monetary economy. Tito Mboweni and his team at the SARB have succeeded in maintaining average annual inflation at 6% per annum for the last 10 years compared to 12% average annual inflation during the last 12 years of apartheid rule. They have thus maintained instead of destroyed R120 billion per annum in the SA monetary economy during the last 10 years.
Basically the SARB has added R120 billion PER ANNUM to the economy during the last 10 years. This will carry on in the future as long as inflation can be maintained at or below 6%.
PWC´s Dr Botha regards R120 billion per annum as "no value".
The 50% reduction in average annual inflation also reduced by 50% the amount of real value SA accountants at PricewaterhouseCoopers´ clients and all other SA companies unknowingly destroy in constant items never updated in the SA real economy. PWC signed most of their clients´ accounts off as "fairly presenting their businesses."
PricewaterhouseCoopers is not even remotely aware of the unknowing and unintentional destruction in the real value of constant items never updated by all the accountants at all their clients. PWC is blisfully lost in Historical Cost accounting - blindfolded by their complete support of the implementation of the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption in the SA economy.
PricewaterhouseCoopers´ Dr Botha will obviously state that Gideon Gono, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had not the slightes effect on the Zimbabwean economy when he single handedly wiped out 100% of the real value of the Zimbabwe Dollar in the Zim monetary economy with hyperinflation at billions of percent and eliminated the ZimDollar completely from the Zim economy in that fashion.
The blatant lack of basic understanding of measurement of monetary as well as constant item real value in the SA economy by PricewaterhouseCoopers is shocking.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Third blank spot for SA accountants
We have already asked SA accountants
1. Is there inflation in SA or not?
2. Are there net monetary losses and gains during low inflation?
Now we can ask them: SA accountants how many basic economic items are there in the economy?
3. Two or three basic economic items?
SA accountants do accounting from the viewpoint that there are two basic items in the economy
Monetary items
Non-monetary items
They account variable items they value at Historical Cost, eg. stock when the Historical Cost of inventories is lower than net realizable value and Retained Profits - which is a constant item - both at Historical Cost. They make no difference between HC variable items and HC constant items.
Fact Check: There are three basic items in the economy:
Monetary items
Variable items
Constant items
SA accountants have never heard of constant items although they have been around for 500 years and they have been accounting them and unknowingly and unintentionally destroying their real values at the rate of inflation for the last 357 years.
Currently SA accountants unknowingly destroy about R200 billion PER ANNUM in the SA real economy because of their implementation of the stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation. The IASB authorized them to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power 20 years ago in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) which states:
“Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power.”
SA accountants refuse point blank to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
1. Is there inflation in SA or not?
2. Are there net monetary losses and gains during low inflation?
Now we can ask them: SA accountants how many basic economic items are there in the economy?
3. Two or three basic economic items?
SA accountants do accounting from the viewpoint that there are two basic items in the economy
Monetary items
Non-monetary items
They account variable items they value at Historical Cost, eg. stock when the Historical Cost of inventories is lower than net realizable value and Retained Profits - which is a constant item - both at Historical Cost. They make no difference between HC variable items and HC constant items.
Fact Check: There are three basic items in the economy:
Monetary items
Variable items
Constant items
SA accountants have never heard of constant items although they have been around for 500 years and they have been accounting them and unknowingly and unintentionally destroying their real values at the rate of inflation for the last 357 years.
Currently SA accountants unknowingly destroy about R200 billion PER ANNUM in the SA real economy because of their implementation of the stable measuring unit assumption during low inflation. The IASB authorized them to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power 20 years ago in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) which states:
“Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power.”
SA accountants refuse point blank to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Two when there are actually three
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, other items in Shareholders´ Equity and most items in the income statement (excluding items like salaries, wages, rents, etc. valued in units of constant purchasing power or inflation-adjusted) 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.
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 over time.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
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, other items in Shareholders´ Equity and most items in the income statement (excluding items like salaries, wages, rents, etc. valued in units of constant purchasing power or inflation-adjusted) 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.
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 over time.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Fraternizing with the enemy
Whereas inflation is SA´s public enemy No 1, SA accountant’s stable measuring unit assumption is public enemy No 2.
SA accountants proudly live up to their deserved reputation as trusted custodians of real value in the case of the constant items salaries and wages. They very responsibly admit that the real value of salaries and wages would be destroyed if the destruction of the real value of the unstable medium of exchange in SA, the always depreciating Rand, is not compensated for by valuing remuneration items in units of constant purchasing power; i.e., inflation-adjusting them in a low inflation environment. They vigorously reject the stable measuring unit assumption in the case of salaries and wages.
Retained Profits are constant items exactly the same as salaries and wages. When it comes to valuing Retained Profits and other balance sheet constant items, SA accountants slavishly follow their mentor’s advice and implement their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption whereby they now suddenly ASSUME that the Rand is perfectly stable and always had been perfectly stable. They refuse point blank to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as the IASB has authorized them to do 20 years ago. They thus unknowingly and unintentionally destroy the real value of Retained Profits in all SA companies at a rate equal to the rate of inflation. Thus unnecessary destruction of real value in constant items never updated amounts to about R200 billion per annum in the SA real economy.
Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) in 1989 means inflation-adjusting all constant item accounts – income statement and balance sheet constant items – in a low inflation environment.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
SA accountants proudly live up to their deserved reputation as trusted custodians of real value in the case of the constant items salaries and wages. They very responsibly admit that the real value of salaries and wages would be destroyed if the destruction of the real value of the unstable medium of exchange in SA, the always depreciating Rand, is not compensated for by valuing remuneration items in units of constant purchasing power; i.e., inflation-adjusting them in a low inflation environment. They vigorously reject the stable measuring unit assumption in the case of salaries and wages.
Retained Profits are constant items exactly the same as salaries and wages. When it comes to valuing Retained Profits and other balance sheet constant items, SA accountants slavishly follow their mentor’s advice and implement their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption whereby they now suddenly ASSUME that the Rand is perfectly stable and always had been perfectly stable. They refuse point blank to measure financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as the IASB has authorized them to do 20 years ago. They thus unknowingly and unintentionally destroy the real value of Retained Profits in all SA companies at a rate equal to the rate of inflation. Thus unnecessary destruction of real value in constant items never updated amounts to about R200 billion per annum in the SA real economy.
Financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) in 1989 means inflation-adjusting all constant item accounts – income statement and balance sheet constant items – in a low inflation environment.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
Monday, 31 August 2009
White elephant at fancy dress party
Inflation is undoubtedly SA´s public enemy No 1.
Luckily we have had Tito Mboweni (Julius, Mboweni is BLACK, please don’t forget that!!) over the last 10 years reducing the destruction of the real value of the Rand and all other monetary items to an annual average of 6% in the SA monetary economy.
That is half the 12% annual average during the last 12 years of WHITE apartheid rule.
With a 1% drop in inflation being equal to maintaining R20 billion in the real value of the Rand PER ANNUM it means that Tito maintained on average AN ADDITIONAL R120 billion PER ANNUM in the SA monetary economy. This will carry on into the future as long as average annual inflation stays at 6% or below.
This will have a permanent effect on the SA economy as a whole.
Let’s hope Gill Marcus can get it down another 3% to the bottom level of the SARB´s inflation targeting range. (Julius, not because she is WHITE, but because that would be very good for everyone in South Africa. Tito got it down to 6% now we should go lower. We should expect that from whoever is the next Governor of the SARB, whether this person is blue, orange or purple.)
That would maintain another R60 billion PER ANNUM in the SA monetary economy for as long as inflation can be maintained below 3% per annum.
Good luck to Gill Marcus.
Every year she achieves that, we can have a fancy dress party and go dressed/coloured in gold, platinum and sterling silver. Julius Malema has a standing invitation. He can come as a white elephant.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Luckily we have had Tito Mboweni (Julius, Mboweni is BLACK, please don’t forget that!!) over the last 10 years reducing the destruction of the real value of the Rand and all other monetary items to an annual average of 6% in the SA monetary economy.
That is half the 12% annual average during the last 12 years of WHITE apartheid rule.
With a 1% drop in inflation being equal to maintaining R20 billion in the real value of the Rand PER ANNUM it means that Tito maintained on average AN ADDITIONAL R120 billion PER ANNUM in the SA monetary economy. This will carry on into the future as long as average annual inflation stays at 6% or below.
This will have a permanent effect on the SA economy as a whole.
Let’s hope Gill Marcus can get it down another 3% to the bottom level of the SARB´s inflation targeting range. (Julius, not because she is WHITE, but because that would be very good for everyone in South Africa. Tito got it down to 6% now we should go lower. We should expect that from whoever is the next Governor of the SARB, whether this person is blue, orange or purple.)
That would maintain another R60 billion PER ANNUM in the SA monetary economy for as long as inflation can be maintained below 3% per annum.
Good luck to Gill Marcus.
Every year she achieves that, we can have a fancy dress party and go dressed/coloured in gold, platinum and sterling silver. Julius Malema has a standing invitation. He can come as a white elephant.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Friday, 28 August 2009
Constant purchasing power
Variable Items during low inflation and deflation
Variable items, eg. property, plant, equipment, inventories, quoted and unquoted shares, foreign exchange, etc are valued in terms of IFRS or SA GAAP during low inflation and deflation at, for example, market value, fair value, present value, recoverable value, net realizable value, etc.
They are not valued by anyone in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation.
Variable items during hyperinflation
Variable items are required by the IASB to be valued in units of constant purchasing power during hyperinflation in terms of IAS 29 Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies by inflation-adjusting their nominal values in terms of the change in the CPI.
Does this affect the nature of the underlying resources? Yes it does.
Turkey was in hyperinflation in 2004.
“In 2004, financial statements were restated and taxes were taken based on restated values.” Dr Cemal KÜÇÜKSÖZEN, Head of Accounting Standards Department, Capital Markets Board of Turkey.
Brazilian accountants valued non-monetary items in the entire Brazilian economyin units of constant purchasing power by inflation-adjusting them by means of variosindeces during various different governments during the 30 years from 1964 to 1994 thus maintaining their real values constant according to the Central Bank of Brazil.
Yes, to represent value in terms of constant purchasing power does affect the nature of the underlying resources.
The choices accountants make do change those values and do affect the economy: see Brazil and Trukey above.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission
Variable items, eg. property, plant, equipment, inventories, quoted and unquoted shares, foreign exchange, etc are valued in terms of IFRS or SA GAAP during low inflation and deflation at, for example, market value, fair value, present value, recoverable value, net realizable value, etc.
They are not valued by anyone in units of constant purchasing power during low inflation and deflation.
Variable items during hyperinflation
Variable items are required by the IASB to be valued in units of constant purchasing power during hyperinflation in terms of IAS 29 Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies by inflation-adjusting their nominal values in terms of the change in the CPI.
Does this affect the nature of the underlying resources? Yes it does.
Turkey was in hyperinflation in 2004.
“In 2004, financial statements were restated and taxes were taken based on restated values.” Dr Cemal KÜÇÜKSÖZEN, Head of Accounting Standards Department, Capital Markets Board of Turkey.
Brazilian accountants valued non-monetary items in the entire Brazilian economyin units of constant purchasing power by inflation-adjusting them by means of variosindeces during various different governments during the 30 years from 1964 to 1994 thus maintaining their real values constant according to the Central Bank of Brazil.
Yes, to represent value in terms of constant purchasing power does affect the nature of the underlying resources.
The choices accountants make do change those values and do affect the economy: see Brazil and Trukey above.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Breaking news R5.879 billion additional loss at Eskom
Besides the R9.708 billion after tax loss reported in the 2009 Annual Report, Eskom lost another R5.879 billion in the real value of its Accumulated Profits from March 2008 till July 2009. This amount was unknowingly and unintentionally destroyed in the real value of Eskom´s Accumulated Profits by the accountants at Eskom implementing the stable measuring unit assumption.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Disinflation (inflation at a slower rate) continues in the SA monetary economy.
Disinflation (inflation at a slower rate) continues in the SA monetary economy.
The general increase in consumer prices in SA over the 12 months to the end of July, 2009 only led to the destruction on average of 6.7% of the real value of the Rand and all other monetary items in the SA monetary economy compared to 6.9% in the 12 month period to the end of June, 2009.
SA accountants unknowingly also only destroyed 6.7% of the real value of all Retained Profits in SA companies and SA banks over the 12 months to July, 2009 compared to the 6.9% in real value they were unknowingly destroying in all constant items never updated in the SA real economy in the 12 months to June, 2009.
The time it takes to destroy 50% of the real value of current Retained Profits stays at 11 years.
This unknowing destruction by SA accountants amounts to about R200 billion PER ANNUM.
This was because of their implementation of their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption and their refusal to change over to measuring financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they were authorized to do 20 years ago by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) which states:
“Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power.”
Two of the “hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction” as described by John Maynard Keynes thus had a slightly lesser destructive effect on the SA economy in the year to end July, 2009.
Cumulative inflation since April 1994 came to 166.5% in July, 2009.
62.5% of all the real value of Retained Profits in SA companies and banks in April, 1994 whichremained in Retained Profits till July, 2009 have thus been unknowingly and unintentionally been destroyed by SA accountants implementing their stable measuring unit assumption by which they assume cumulative inflation over that period was zero percent.
So too the real value of issued share capital of all SA companies with no fixed assets over that period.
Cumulative inflation since Jan 1981 came to 1382.2% in July, 2009.
93.3% of all the real value of Retained Profits in SA companies and banks in Jan, 1981 which remained in Retained Profits till July, 2009 have thus been unknowingly and unintentionally been destroyed by SA accountants implementing their stable measuring unit assumption by which they assume cumulative inflation over that period was zero percent.
So too the real value of issued share capital of all SA companies with no fixed assets over that period.
We all know that our accountants can freely stop their silly and very destructive stable measuring unit assumption any time they want.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
The general increase in consumer prices in SA over the 12 months to the end of July, 2009 only led to the destruction on average of 6.7% of the real value of the Rand and all other monetary items in the SA monetary economy compared to 6.9% in the 12 month period to the end of June, 2009.
SA accountants unknowingly also only destroyed 6.7% of the real value of all Retained Profits in SA companies and SA banks over the 12 months to July, 2009 compared to the 6.9% in real value they were unknowingly destroying in all constant items never updated in the SA real economy in the 12 months to June, 2009.
The time it takes to destroy 50% of the real value of current Retained Profits stays at 11 years.
This unknowing destruction by SA accountants amounts to about R200 billion PER ANNUM.
This was because of their implementation of their very destructive stable measuring unit assumption and their refusal to change over to measuring financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power as they were authorized to do 20 years ago by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a) which states:
“Financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary units or in units of constant purchasing power.”
Two of the “hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction” as described by John Maynard Keynes thus had a slightly lesser destructive effect on the SA economy in the year to end July, 2009.
Cumulative inflation since April 1994 came to 166.5% in July, 2009.
62.5% of all the real value of Retained Profits in SA companies and banks in April, 1994 whichremained in Retained Profits till July, 2009 have thus been unknowingly and unintentionally been destroyed by SA accountants implementing their stable measuring unit assumption by which they assume cumulative inflation over that period was zero percent.
So too the real value of issued share capital of all SA companies with no fixed assets over that period.
Cumulative inflation since Jan 1981 came to 1382.2% in July, 2009.
93.3% of all the real value of Retained Profits in SA companies and banks in Jan, 1981 which remained in Retained Profits till July, 2009 have thus been unknowingly and unintentionally been destroyed by SA accountants implementing their stable measuring unit assumption by which they assume cumulative inflation over that period was zero percent.
So too the real value of issued share capital of all SA companies with no fixed assets over that period.
We all know that our accountants can freely stop their silly and very destructive stable measuring unit assumption any time they want.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission.
Money cannot be valued in units of constant purchasing power
Units of constant purchasing power
There are three basic economic items in the economy:
1. Monetary items
2. Variable items
3. Constant items
We will analyse the possibility and the effect of valuing items in units of constant purchasing power in each case.
Monetary items
Inflation only destroys the real value of money and other monetary items over time.
Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.
Money and other monetary items´ real values are destroyed at the rate of inflation over time in a low inflationary and in a hyperinflationary environment.
SA accountants VALUE money and other monetary items in nominal monetary units during the current financial period since that is the only way in which they can be valued under any accounting model.
It is impossible to update, inflation-adjust or restate money and other monetary items during the current financial period during low inflation, hyperinflation or deflation.
It is impossible to inflation-adjust money and other monetary items during the current financial period by means of units of constant purchasing power during low inflation, hyperinflation or deflation.
SA accountants can only VALUE monetary items in nominal monetary units, eg. bank account balances, capital amounts of bank loans, capital amounts of bank savings, car loans, housing loans, consumer loans, student loans, all other monetary loans, etc.
Monetary items cannot be valued in units of constant purchasing power during the current financial period under any accounting model.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
There are three basic economic items in the economy:
1. Monetary items
2. Variable items
3. Constant items
We will analyse the possibility and the effect of valuing items in units of constant purchasing power in each case.
Monetary items
Inflation only destroys the real value of money and other monetary items over time.
Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.
Money and other monetary items´ real values are destroyed at the rate of inflation over time in a low inflationary and in a hyperinflationary environment.
SA accountants VALUE money and other monetary items in nominal monetary units during the current financial period since that is the only way in which they can be valued under any accounting model.
It is impossible to update, inflation-adjust or restate money and other monetary items during the current financial period during low inflation, hyperinflation or deflation.
It is impossible to inflation-adjust money and other monetary items during the current financial period by means of units of constant purchasing power during low inflation, hyperinflation or deflation.
SA accountants can only VALUE monetary items in nominal monetary units, eg. bank account balances, capital amounts of bank loans, capital amounts of bank savings, car loans, housing loans, consumer loans, student loans, all other monetary loans, etc.
Monetary items cannot be valued in units of constant purchasing power during the current financial period under any accounting model.
Kindest regards,
Nicolaas Smith
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Units of constant purchasing power for dummies
The two confirmed disbelievers in this area are the accounting professor and Market Monkey.
The accounting professor states:
“So its fine to represent value in terms of constant purchasing power and to argue that that would be a better method than using historic cost and maintaining a fiction as to the stability of the measuring unit - but that doesn't affect the nature of the underlying resources.”
Market Monkey says he is dead right.
The accounting professor and Market Monkey are both dead wrong.
Units of constant purchasing power
Inflation can only destroy the real value of money and other monetary items over time. Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.
Stating or valuing economic items in nominal monetary units over time thus means that the real values of these items will be destroyed over time in an inflationary environment if they are monetary items or if they are treated as monetary items.
Valuing constant real value non-monetary items, eg. salaries, wages, etc., in units of constant purchasing power over time means that the real value of these items will be maintained constant over time since the nominal values are inflation-adjusted by means of the Consumer Price Index over time. This is the case with salaries and wages in South Africa. Everybody including the accounting professor and Market Monkey understand that.
There are three basic economic items in the economy:
1. Monetary items
2. Variable items
3. Constant items
We will analyse the possibility and the effect of valuing items in units of constant purchasing power in each case.
Monetary items
It is impossible to update or inflation-adjust money and other monetary items during the current financial period during low inflation or hyperinflation.
It is thus impossible to inflation-adjust money and other monetary items by means of units of constant purchasing power during low inflation or hyperinflation.
SA accountants can only VALUE monetary items in nominal monetary units, eg. bank account balances, capital amounts of bank loans, capital amounts of bank savings, car loans, housing loans, consumer loans, student loans, all other monetary loans, etc.
Since monetary items can ONLY be VALUED by SA accountants in nominal monetary units it also appears as if they in this case simply report on what happened in the past as the accounting professor and Market Monkey believe.
Monetary items thus cannot be valued in units of constant purchasing power during the current financial period.
The accounting professor, Market Monkey and I all agree on this item.
Sorry, no bun fight in the monetary item area.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission
The accounting professor states:
“So its fine to represent value in terms of constant purchasing power and to argue that that would be a better method than using historic cost and maintaining a fiction as to the stability of the measuring unit - but that doesn't affect the nature of the underlying resources.”
Market Monkey says he is dead right.
The accounting professor and Market Monkey are both dead wrong.
Units of constant purchasing power
Inflation can only destroy the real value of money and other monetary items over time. Inflation has no effect on the real value of non-monetary items.
Stating or valuing economic items in nominal monetary units over time thus means that the real values of these items will be destroyed over time in an inflationary environment if they are monetary items or if they are treated as monetary items.
Valuing constant real value non-monetary items, eg. salaries, wages, etc., in units of constant purchasing power over time means that the real value of these items will be maintained constant over time since the nominal values are inflation-adjusted by means of the Consumer Price Index over time. This is the case with salaries and wages in South Africa. Everybody including the accounting professor and Market Monkey understand that.
There are three basic economic items in the economy:
1. Monetary items
2. Variable items
3. Constant items
We will analyse the possibility and the effect of valuing items in units of constant purchasing power in each case.
Monetary items
It is impossible to update or inflation-adjust money and other monetary items during the current financial period during low inflation or hyperinflation.
It is thus impossible to inflation-adjust money and other monetary items by means of units of constant purchasing power during low inflation or hyperinflation.
SA accountants can only VALUE monetary items in nominal monetary units, eg. bank account balances, capital amounts of bank loans, capital amounts of bank savings, car loans, housing loans, consumer loans, student loans, all other monetary loans, etc.
Since monetary items can ONLY be VALUED by SA accountants in nominal monetary units it also appears as if they in this case simply report on what happened in the past as the accounting professor and Market Monkey believe.
Monetary items thus cannot be valued in units of constant purchasing power during the current financial period.
The accounting professor, Market Monkey and I all agree on this item.
Sorry, no bun fight in the monetary item area.
© 2005-2010 by Nicolaas J Smith. All rights reserved
No reproduction without permission
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