Alan Greenspan: "Low inflation is what creates long-term sustainable economic growth"

Alan Greenspan: "Low inflation is what creates long-term sustainable economic growth"

Abandoning the stable measuring unit assumption will result in 0% value destruction only in our real economy and create long-term sustainable economic growth in South Africa. It will stop our Chartered Accountants from unknowingly destroying up to a hundred billion Rand in constant item real value in our non-monetary economy year after year. We will still have 11.1% inflation in our cash or monetary economy.

"The benefits of price stability, on the other hand, can scarcely be overestimated, especially as these are, in principle, unlimited in duration and accrue year after year." Deutsche Bundesbank, 1996 Annual Report.

No substance in the statement that the choices accountants make won't change that value and won't affect the economy

NO SUBSTANCE IN THE STATEMENT THAT CHOICES SA ACCOUNTANTS MAKE WON´T AFFECT THE ECONOMY


The debate of how to account for value has been around for decades.
Robert Kemp, CPA Professor, University of Virginia

The three fundamentally different basic economic items in the economy

1. variable items
2. monetary items and
3. constant items

are economic values. Each economic item is an economic value expressed in terms of money, i.e. the functional currency. SA accountants account economic transactions involving these three economic items in an organized manner when they implement a double entry accounting model: journal entries, general ledger accounts, trial balances, cash flow statements, income and expenses in the Profit and Loss Account, assets and liabilities in the Balance Sheet plus other financial, management and costing reports.

SA accountants value economic items when they account economic activity in the accounting records and prepare financial reports of SA economic entities based on the double entry accounting model. Accounting entries are valuations of the economic items (the debit items and the credit items) being accounted.

SA accountants do not simply record economic activity. Accounting is not just a scorekeeping or recordkeeping of economic events. That concept of financial reporting has no substance. SA accountants value economic items when they account them. Subsequent accounting entries are part of generally accepted accounting practice of continuous valuation of the economic items originally valued and accounted over time as required by SA Generally Accepted Accounting Practice and IFRS implemented in conjunction with the IASB´s Framework.

The measurement basis and concept of financial capital maintenance SA accountants choose - either real value destroying traditional Historical Cost nominal monetary units (their current choice) or real value maintaining units of constant purchasing power (the CIPPA model) - to value constant real value non-monetary items determine whether they unknowingly destroy or maintain their real values during low, high and hyperinflation. SA accountants are required by the IASB to implement IAS 29 Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies during hyperinflation. IAS 29 is based on the Constant Purchasing Power Accounting (CPPA) model. Inflation, being a uniquely monetary phenomenon, can not, by definition, destroy the real value of constant real value non-monetary items or variable real value non-monetary items. It is SA accountants’ choice of capital maintenance concept (accounting model) that determines whether they carry on currently unintentionally destroying real value in constant items never or not fully updated or maintain those values for an unlimited period of time – all else being equal.

When SA accountants apply the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption as part of the real value destroying traditional HCA model and value constant items at their HC nominal monetary values and these items are never or not fully updated or inflation-adjusted by means of the CPI over time in SA´s non-hyperinflationary environment, they unknowingly destroy their constant real non-monetary values at a rate equal to the rate of 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 issued share capital in SA banks and companies which do not have variable real value non-monetary fixed property, plant and equipment that can be revalued at least equal to the updated original real value of all capital contributions under the HC paradigm.

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 issued share capital, whether entities have fixed property, plant and equipment to revalue or not.

When SA accountants value constant items in HC nominal monetary units – as they all currently do – they unknowingly destroy their real values at a rate equal to the inflation rate when they are never updated under the HC paradigm.

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 GAAP. These items will be valued at their market prices 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 – not SA accountants - destroys the real value of SA monetary items over time. 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 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 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 HCA model) or in real value maintaining units of constant purchasing power (the CIPPA model) as authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a).

It is very obvious that how SA accountants choose to measure financial capital maintenance does make a big difference to the real value of constant items. There is absolutely no substance in the statement that the choices accountants make won't affect the economy no matter

The accounting model SA accountants choose in terms of the Framework, Par. 104 (a) is of critical importance. When they choose to measure financial capital maintenance in real value maintaining units of constant purchasing power they will maintain the real values of, for example, all SA banks´ and companies´ retained income values constant over time, all else being equal, instead of unknowingly destroying them, as the currently do. The ONLY way SA accountants can maintain the real value of constant real value non-monetary items during inflation and deflation is by choosing a Constant Purchasing Power Accounting model as per the IASB´s Framework, Par. 104 (a).

Not a single SA accountant in SA chooses to measure financial capital maintenance in real value maintaining units of constant purchasing power as authorized by the IASB in the Framework, Par. 104 (a). SA accountants, unfortunately, choose to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units and thereby, unknowingly, destroy the real values of constant items at a rate equal to the rate of inflation when they are never or not fully updated over time when they implement the very destructive stable measuring unit assumption as part of the real value destroying HCA model. SA accountants are unknowingly killing the real economy at the rate of about R200 billion per annum – each and every year - as long as they carry on choosing to measure financial capital maintenance in nominal monetary units.

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

CA´s can prevent a destruction spiral in the real economy.

Tito Mboweni: “A weaker exchange rate is usually a sign of high inflation, and unless the inflation problem is addressed, it can set in motion an exchange rate and inflation spiral.”

South Africa will have 0% inflation in the real economy when Chartered Accountants abandon the stable measuring unit assumption while an inflation spiral in the monetary economy will still be possible as Mboweni stated.

A destruction spiral in the real economy is what destroyed the Zimbabwe economy over the last 14 years of hyperinflation in that country.

Abandoning the stable measuring unit assumption will make this impossible in South Africa.

CA´s can pump 100´s of billions of Rands into the economy

Finweek

SA Chartered Accountants can pump hundreds of billions of Rand into the SA real economy for an indefinite period of time when they stop their assumption that the Rand is perfectly stable only for the purpose of accounting salaries, wages, rent, issued share capital, retained income, taxes, trade debtors, trade creditors, etc. Now they destroy hundreds of billions of Rand in constant item real value by not maintaining that real value.

No-one forces them to implement the stable measuring unit assumption.

When they stop assuming the Rand is perfectly stable only for that purpose they will stop destroying hundreds of billions of Rand in constant item real value in the SA real economy for an indefinite period of time.

It will increase GDP, economic growth and job creation.

The benefits of SA Chartered Accountants abandoning the stable measuring unit assumption can scarcely be overestimated , especially as these are, in principle, unlimited in duration and accrue year after year.

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/30 01:09:08 AM - Re: Bradley

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/30 01:09:08 AM - Re: Bradley

Finweek

"Not updating share capital doesnt destroy any value, not in any real sense at least."

It only destroys real value at the annual rate of inflation in companies with no well located and well maintained land and/or buildings or other variable real value non-monetary items able to be revalued at least equal to the original real value of each contribution of issued share capital. Companies can always revalue land and buildings and add the revaluation reserve to capital when they have those assets. When do not have them like many thousands in SA do not have, then real value of their issued share capital is destroyed at the annual rate of inflation.

"The share capital number in the balance sheets is just that, a number."

No it is not. It is a constant real value non-monetary item. See IAS 29. Under hyperinflation (26% pa continuous inflation) the IASB mandates you to update capital as it is a non-monetary item. They are just completely illogical not to allow you to do it under non-hyperinflationary conditions like in SA. That is obviously wrong.

"What use would there possibly be in increasing this by inflation?"

As the IASB states in IAS 29: capital is a non-monetary item and its real value must be updated. Capital is a constant real value non-monetary item and must be updated at the monthly inflation rate in SA. All SA companies with no items to revalue are having their capital destroyed by accountants stable measuring unit assumption at the annual rate of inflation.

"Does it change the underlying value of the company? No."

Yes it does. Updating the issued share capital as well as retained income at the monthly rate of inflation obviously changes the underlying value of the company. R111 million is clearly different from R100 million. That is very obvious.

"When a company issues shares, it gets he money, an amount equal to share capital. How does updating this amount monthly, or yearly, by inflation improve anything?"

Remember the IASB mandates you to update capital under hyperinflation. My example: You start a company today with R100 million. Without updating: In 30 years time at continuous 10% annual inflation that R100 million will still be in the balance sheet but it will have lost 88% of its real value: it will be worth R12 million in today´s real value.

Updating it monthly at the inflation rate means that in 30 years time it will still be worth R100 million in today´s real value - it´s nominal value in 30 year´s time will be R1 744 940 227 or R1.7 trillion. Its real value will still be R100 million in todays terms. Take your pick. The IASB says you can do it only under hyperinflation. That is obviously a complete mistake.

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/30 12:34:37 AM - Re: Ben

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/30 12:34:37 AM - Re: Ben

Finweek

Ben, I am sure you will agree that it is not very easy to grasp something that took one person 13 years to unravel by reading a few lines in an article comment.

It will not worsen cash inflation. You must understand that a price increase as a result of higher demand is not inflation.

A price increase as a result of demand staying exactly the same is inflation. The first is simply a genuine price increase, the second is inflation.

You may not know, but this was done for 30 years by Brazil and not under low inflation but under hyperinflation of up to 2000% per annum. They updated all non-monetary items in the real economy DAILY including salaries and they had positive economic growth - under hyperinflation because they stabalized their real economy.

Updating all constant items simply keeps everything the same in the real economy and does not kill the real economy. You are only worried about salaries. That is only one constant item. What about the rest of them? Issued capital and retained income maintaining the investment and capital base of the economy instead of destroying it year after year? That will make a massive difference and for an indefinite period of time - forever.

Firms update salaries but their issued capital and retained income are also updated as well as taxes to the government. All constant items are simply kept at the same real values and their real values are not destroyed at the rate of inflation when they are never updated, eg. retained income. As Logan pointed out: salaries are updated in any case. Instead of giving an annual once off increase of now 11.1% to just maintain the real value, the updating is done monthly. I am sure you understand that. So, with salaries you have exactly the same, more or less. So that takes care of your worry about increasing prices for salaries.

It will be the same as the present. Isn´t this obvious? When people demand higher wages it does not automatically worsen inflation - only when it is higher than the inflation rate and higher than the productivity increase if there was actually an increase in productivity. I think that puts your worry about passing the salary increase on to the company´s products every month to rest. Now it is done yearly. When accountants abandon the stable measuring unit assumption it will be done monthly instead of yearly - so nothing will really change as far as salary increases and product price increase are concerned.

I am sure you agree. So this will not cause massive inflation and spiral out of control. So, that sort out salaries. Now updating issued share capital, retained income, trade debtors, trade creditors, taxes etc will maintain all these items´ real values instead of destroying hundreds of billions of Rand in SA´s real economy each and every year. This will increase GDP, economic growth and job creation

Ben on 2008/05/29 11:53:46 PM - Nicolaas

Ben on 2008/05/29 11:53:46 PM - Nicolaas

Finweek


Are you serious? This would worsen inflation like you have no idea. Inflation targeting hinges CRITICALLY on the extent to which players in the economy believe the target will be maintained and sought after. If wages are increased in line with inflation, or possibly above inflation, this causes what economists call a "wage spiral".

Costs like salaries - what you term contant items - will need to be covered by way of higher prices from the firm. Isnt this obvious? If people demand higher wages, this worsens inflation. So if the accountant raises your salary by 1.2% every month, and this cost is passed on to the consumer as a 1.2% increase in the price of that company's product every month, can you see that this causes inflation? It all well and good to "maintain a persons real salary" but this will cause massive inflation that will spiral out of control.

A better tactic is to aggressively tackle inflation, to make everyone aware that the government is ADAMANT that they are sticking to it, lest workers demand increases in wages above inflation. It simply isnt possible to keep inflation at 3-6% if people demand wage increases of 10% a year...

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/29 11:23:50 PM - Re: Logan

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/29 11:23:50 PM - Re: Logan

Buy the ebook for $2.99 or £1.53 or €2.68

"Isn't the monthly inflation taken care of by the annual wage increase if based on annualised inflation rate?" Yes. That is one constant item. That is only salaries and wages. What about retained income, issued share capital, personal taxes, company taxes, VAT, trade debtors, trade creditors, profit and loss items, shareholders equity, etc? I always state: Historical Cost Accounting inflation destroys the real value of constant items never or not fully updated. Retained earnings, issued share capital of companies with no non-monetary items to revalue, etc, are never updated in non-hyperinflationary economies. Their values are destroyed and have always been destroyed at the full rate of inflation. The real values of salaries, wages, taxes, rents, etc are, only where they are not fully updated, destroyed at a lower rate than the full inflation rate.

Logan on 2008/05/29 10:54:06 PM - Maybe we need change

Logan on 2008/05/29 10:54:06 PM - Maybe we need change !


If the aNC does decide to relax the inflation targets a bit that won't be a problem, economists are fiercely divided anyway over what level of inflation is ok. To deny that is contested terrain would be silly, the research papers are all over the place. The problem is that we have to be flexible enough to maintain social stability. Economic policy purity is for lecture halls, not the real world. Anyway, where is all this so-called investment? Years of low inflation and very little FDI, a few biggies and that's it, compared to Brazil, India etc. Investors want growth, not policy purity. p.s. Nicolaas, interesting points! Isn't the monthly inflation taken care of by the annual wage increase if based on annualised inflation rate?

"OK, so what measure of inflation do we use?"

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/29 11:15:17 PM - Re: Neelsie Naamloos

Finweek


"OK, so what measure of inflation do we use"

CPI which is 11.1% at the moment.

"should it be a one-sided decision by the company, or will they consult labour on the monthly salary adjustement?"

When all accountants decide to abandon the stable measuring unit assumption it will apply throughout SA. It will be an automatic monthly adjustment to all constant items [salaries, wages, rents, fees, retainers, royalties, issued share capital, retained income, personal taxes, trade debtors, trade creditors, company taxes, value added taxes, all items in the profit and loss account, etc] in terms of the monthly inflation rate (CPI). Computer accounting programs will have to be upgraded for this purpose. Any individual company or economic entity can do this.

"How will such a system be administrated so that it is equitable to everyone,"

It is equitable since all constant items are updated monthly in a non-hyperinflationary economy at the monthly inflation rate and daily in a hyperinflationary economy at the daily parallel rate of daily index rate. It is simply an admittance that the Rand´s real value is being destroyed by inflation. So, only all constant items have to be adjusted at the monthly rate of inflation. It is simply a matter of maintaining all constant items´ real values, because, when any constant item is never updated, eg. retained income, then its real value is destroyed at the rate of infaltion

See this peer reviewed article in  Accountancy SA


"and what will the costs be?"

The cost of upgrading accounting programs and training accounting staff in updating constant items.

"And why will inflation stabilize if everyone's avaialable cash keeps growing at the rate of inflation in any case?"

Inflation is the destruction of value. When constant items are never or not fully updated at the monthly rate of inflation then their real values are being destroyed at the rate of inflation when they are never updated (retained income) or at a lower rate when they are not fully updated (salaries, wages). When accountants abandon the stable measuring unit assumption and update all constant items monthy then no real value will be destroyed in constant items for an indefinite period of time. That is thus zero destruction of real value in constant items, that is 0% inflation in constant items only.

We will still have 11.1% cash inflation in monetary items, that is in the Rand and in all monetary items. The real economy will be stabilized, internal demand will be stabilized. The destruction of the real economy will stop for an indefinite period of time. Accountants will maintain billions of Rand in constant item real value in the real economy instead of destroying billions of Rand in the real economy each and every year

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

Neelsie Naamloos on 2008/05/29 10:43:07 PM - Nicolaas Smith

Neelsie Naamloos on 2008/05/29 10:43:07 PM - Nicolaas Smith


OK, so what measure of inflation do we use, should it be a one-sided decision by the company, or will they consult labour on the monthly salary adjustement? How will such a system be administrated so that it is equitable to everyone, and what will the costs be? And why will inflation stabilize if everyone's avaialable cash keeps growing at the rate of inflation in any case? Just asking. Everyone's Friend Neelsie

"where is TITO? In the "real economy" or in the "monetary economy"?"

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/29 10:19:37 PM - Re: Benzo

Finweek


"where is TITO? In the "real economy" or in the "monetary economy"?"

Tito is in the monetary economy. 11.1% inflation (Tito?) is destroying R194 billion in the real value of all monetary items (M3 = R1751.361 billion) in SA. At 3% inflation Tito would only destroy R52 billion of the real value of all money in SA. His job is thus worth R142 billion at the moment. If he can bring inflation down to 3% he will not destroy - or maintain R142 billion in the real value of all money and monetary items in SA. It would be wonderful if he can bring inflation down to 3% and maintain R142 billion in the SA economy. We can pay him a big bonus for that - when he achieves that.

"Where am I? in the "real economy" or in the "monetary economy"?"

You are in both.

Where you own money or montary items your are in the monetary economy and Tito destroys the real value of your money at 11.1% instead of 3% at the moment. You can make your own calculations how much Tito is destroying in the real value of your average cash balance you keep over a year. Where you own or use or buy or sell things that are not money or monetary items and these things are variable items, e.g. your house, car, mobile phone, clothes, food, energy, fuel, clothes, consumer goods, etc your are in the variable item part of the real economy. You are simply in the market for these things: you are paying market prices for these items in the variable part fo the real economy.

You are in the constant items part of the real economy with your salary you receive, the taxes you pay, the rent you pay or receive, the issued share capital of your company, the retained income in your company, etc.

Here your company accountant makes as if he is very dumb and assumes that there is no inflation at all. All company accountants do this. Your company accountant assumes that there is no inflation in SA only for this purpose. He assumes the Rand is perfectly stable. But we all know it is not. Your salary is a constant item. Your company accountant should increase your salary by about 1.2% per month at the moment.

He does not do that. He assumes there is no inflation - only for this purpose and nothing else. So he pays you out the same salary every month end. So he destroys the real value of your salary at 1.2% per month or 11.1% per annum. So to the retained income and the issued share capital of your company and the taxes he pays over to the government.

In total all accountants in SA destroy billions of constant item real value every year in SA. No-one forces them to do that. They can stop assuming there is no inflation in SA only for this purpose anytime they want to. When they do they will maintain b billions and billions of real value in the SA economy, increase economic growth and create more jobs in SA.

"Will the two ever meet? If so; when? If not, who should care?"

The two are always there together.

Benzo on 2008/05/29 09:36:42 PM - Nic Smith

Benzo on 2008/05/29 09:36:42 PM - Nic Smith


"South African's sound economic policies" ???? where is TITO? In the "real economy" or in the "monetary economy"? Where am I? in the "real economy" or in the "monetary economy"? Will the two ever meet? If so; when? If not, who should care?

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/29 09:28:26 PM - Re: Viparo

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/29 09:28:26 PM - Re: Viparo

Finweek

Viparo, For example: cars are variable items - their prices vary in the car market: there is a market for cars. Their prices depend on demand and supply. But, salaries and wages are constant items: there is no market for salaries. You cannot sell your salary in a market. Or you cannot buy someone else´s salary in a market. They are constant items.

The value of your salary - a constant real value - is paid over to you in Rands. But, cash inflation destroys the real value of the Rand. So the Rand is always worth less. So, your constant value salary must be updated at the monthly inflation rate to maintain its constant value. It is not done anywhere.

The company accountant ignores the fact that the Rand is losing value every month. The company accountant assumes that there is no inflation in the Rand as far as your salary is concerned. So the company accountant pays you out in Rands that are always worth less. So, your salary should be increased every month that inflation increases. Now at about the rate of 1.2% per month. This is not done. So the real value of your salary is being destroyed by the accountant at 1.2% per month. This is easy to change.

The company accountant can update your salary and all other constant items in the company every month. All accountants in SA are assuming that there is no inflation in the Rand for this purpose. So they are destroying billions of Rand in real value every year in SA. The real vlaue of your salary and all salaries, all taxes, all retained income, all companies´ capital etc.

We can stop this. This will increase economic growth in SA and create more jobs.

Viparo on 2008/05/29 09:10:40 PM - Nicolaas

Viparo on 2008/05/29 09:10:40 PM - Nicolaas

Finweek 29 May 2008

Nope, lost you after "when"

CAs please drop the stable measuring unit assumption

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/29 09:01:15 PM - CAs please drop the stable measuring unit assumpti

Finweek 29 May 2008

When CAs drop their assumption that there is no inflation when they account constant items like salaries, wages, taxes, retained income, issued share capital, etc they will guarantee the achievement of a 0% inflation target in the real economy for an indefinite period of time. http://realvalueaccounting.blogspot.com/

0% inflation in the real economy = value stability

Nicolaas Smith on 2008/05/29 08:53:53 PM - 0% inflation in the real economy = value stability

Finweek 29 May 2008


0% inflation in the real economy is value stability in the real economy when SA Chartered Accountants abondon their stable measuring unit assumption. CAs assume that there is no inflation (they just simply ignore the 11.1% current inflation - can you believe that!!!!!!) when they account constant items like salaries, wages, rents, taxes, retained income, issued share capital etc.

They thus destroy billions of Rand in constant item real value this year and every year as long as they keep on assuming there is not inflation only for this purpose. When they abondon the stable measuring unit assumption they will maintain billions of Rand in the SA real economy instead of destroying it.

By abondoning the stable measuring unit assumption - no one stops them from doing that - SA Chartered Accountants will guarantee 0% inflation in the real economy. We will still have 11.1% cash inflation in the monetary economy.

Accounting for Inflation

Financial Mail 09 May 2008


Accounting for inflation

Nicolaas Smith, Lisbon

DA deputy finance spokesman Dion George states: "Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni recently hiked interest rates, despite real concern over the impact this will have on sustainable economic growth" (Letters April 25).


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.


There is an option that would make this destruction of the SA real economy by inflation or hyperinflation impossible - if we so choose.


We have to remember that inflation is the destruction of value in monetary and constant items over time.


Inflation has two components: a monetary component - cash inflation - and a non monetary component - historical cost accounting inflation. We can stop the second component completely, which will stop the destruction of real value in the real economy completely.


The 10,6% (March) cash inflation was caused by excessive (21%) money supply growth in SA. What causes excessive money supply is a complex economic process that should be dominated by Mboweni and the Bank as it is dominated by central banks elsewhere.


Historical cost accounting inflation is caused by the combination of 10,6% inflation and SA accountants' implementation of the stable measuring unit assumption (a historical cost accounting practice) throughout the SA economy.


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.


Inflation would then have only a monetary component, namely, cash inflation.


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.

Inflation value destruction in South Africa

March 2008 CPI 153.9 Annual inflation 10.6%

Real value destroyed in 2008

1. By 10.6% cash inflation in monetary items, that is, in M3: 10.6% of R1.751361 trillion = R185 billion per annum

2. Unwittingly by SA Chartered Accountants: 10.6% Historical Cost Accounting inflation in the real value of Retained Income of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange = Billions per annum. Actual amount in the process of being calculated.

3. Unwittingly by SA Chartered Accountants in other constant items never or not fully updated = Billions per annum. Value unknown.

Accountants eroding real value

Accountants are eroding real value in South Africa each and every day with their assumption that the Rand is perfectly stable only when they account constant items like salaries, wages, taxes, retained income, issued share capital, etc in SA.

That is, they assume that changes in the Rand´s general purchasing power are not sufficiently important to require adjustments to the basic financial statements with regard to these constant items.

Accountants thus destroy hundreds of billions of Rand in real value in SA each and every year.
That will benefit everyone in SA for an indefinite period of time.

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

No reproduction without permission.