Accountancy Newsletter
  Issue # 03  November 06, 2002

The coming of the month of Ramzaan creates in us a renewed sense of well-being for all mankind. We all tend to get more spiritual and tend to perform our religious duties more diligently. However, it is necessary that the spirit of this month is continued throughout the year, or all the good deeds and religious duties we do in this month become just a farce, another ritual. We wish to all our subscribers all the joys and merriment of this holy month of Ramzaan-ul-Mubarak.

Thank you
The Accountancy team

Weekly Poll Results
This week, we too joined in the hottest topic of debate in the country and asked you people who should be the next prime minister of Pakistan? The results were quite interesting, especially the number of votes given to the final candidate in our list! This is how our audience has responded.
Zafar-ullah Jamali 29%
Makhdoom Amin Fahim 31%
M. Fazal-ur-Rehman 2%
Anybody but them! 12%
Other 10%
Pervaiz Musharraf 16%
 
 
 

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In this week's issue:
 
In the News

During the week, the govermnent yet again increased gas prices, by 1.63 percent, applicable equally to domestic and commercial consumers. The government also allowed the issuance of duplicate FEBCs and FCBCs in the case they are destroyed or lost by accident. This used to be a major worry for the holders of such certificates, which has now be alleviated. Also in this week,it was learnt that KESC's privatization will again be delayed and the task will most probably be carried out by the new regime, and the Finance Minister saw a brighter economic future when he announced that Pakistan would achieve 4.6 percent GDP growth during the ongoing fiscal year. In Kuala Lampur, Pakistan and seven other Muslim countries launched a global agency on Sunday to set standards for an Islamic financial system. Also during the week, SBP Ordinance and the Banking Companies Ordinance were amended.
 
Coming to the professional news, crisis again loomed large for this industry when the US federal government filed a $2bn (£1.3bn) lawsuit against Ernst & Young over a bank's failure. And PWC agreed to pay $21.5 million to settle lawsuits by a client's shareholders and creditors accusing the firm of recklessness in certifying that client's books. In India, the state government of Kerala appointed Ernst & Young to prepare a masterplan for the second phase growth of Technopark, the IT infrastructure showpiece of Kerala. In UK, two accounting firms and two of their partners were accused of taking some $18m (£11.5m) from investors and they were stopped from public practice. Also during the week, a security software company owned by Ernst & Young, waded into the security management market with a vulnerability management tool.
 
On the student front, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan announced its Fall 2002 Foundation and Modular Examination Results. Also during the week, a medal awarding ceremony was held by ICAP to confer gold medals for outstanding performance in its last foundation and professional examination.
Featured Articles

Moving your Company Online
Electronic commerce has the potential to change your company's balance sheet dramatically. Think of the possibilities, the sheer numbers of potential customers, when your company's products and services are accessible at an electronic storefront. You'll be part of an electronic community, and you'll be providing one for your clients. You can provide greater customer service, immediate product and account information, and the ability to take customers' orders as quickly as they can click a mouse. Read the full article
 
Differences between Mergers and Acquisitions
M&A differs from the other reasons for valuations in that an actual arm’s-length negotiation (not just a written report) takes place. This article describes differences between merging and acquiring for CPAs advising a client that will buy or merge with another business. Read the full article
Articles for Students

Assessing a Job offer
While securing a job offer can be difficult in a competitive employment market, it can be equally challenging to determine if that situation is right for you. Generally, the people who know you best are the best ones to turn to for guidance.  Read the full article
 
Sharpening your Presentation Skills
The role of the accountant has evolved into a more visible position within the company. Gone are the days of the stereotypical "bean counter" who sat in a back room compiling financial reports. Today's accounting professionals are front and center, providing information to many different individuals and groups -- often to people outside of their company or field. To distinguish yourself and expand your career opportunities, you'll need to continuously sharpen your presentation skills.  Read the full article
 
In our Reference Library

We have added latest IAS  and SIC summaries.
We have added another online publication: FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS- APPLYING IAS 32 AND IAS 39 Summaries, Guidance and Examples
Our Accounting Ratios reference section is now complete and ready for your attention.
And in our online tools, we have added the multi-line calculator, a simple but powerful new computational tool. Now why doesn't any standard calculator carry these type of options?
 

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