Annual
Financial Report
2018
2018
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The Audit Committee (the Committee) was appointed by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in May 2018. Yunus Suleman was reappointed as the Chairperson of the Committee at the May 2018 AGM.
The members of the Committee are all independent non-executive directors (NEDs), and no new members were appointed to the Committee during 2018. Details of the number of meetings held and attendance by members at meetings are included on p6 of this report. The directors of Gold Fields (the Board) continue to believe that the Committee members collectively have the necessary skills to carry out its duties effectively and with due care.
The Committee has reporting responsibilities to both the shareholders and the Board and is accountable to them. Its duties, as set out in the Audit Committee Charter, are reviewed annually and incorporate the Committee’s statutory obligations as set out in the South African Companies Act No 71 of 2008 (as amended) (Companies Act), and the King IV Report on Governance Principles for South Africa (King IV). A work plan is drawn up annually incorporating all these obligations, and progress is monitored to ensure these obligations are fulfilled.
It is the duty of the Committee, among other things, to monitor and review:
The Committee is responsible for recommending the appointment or reappointment of a firm of external auditors to the Board that, in turn, will recommend the appointment to the shareholders. The Committee is responsible for determining that the designated appointee firm and signing registered auditor have the necessary independence, experience, qualifications and skills, and that the audit fee is adequate.
Following a formal tender process to appoint a new firm of external auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc (PwC) was appointed as the Company’s external auditors, with Pieter Hough as the designated audit partner, for the financial year ending 31 December 2019. KPMG Inc’s (KPMG) appointment as external auditors will end on conclusion of its responsibilities relating to the 31 December 2018 financial audit, which is expected to be concluded on or about the end of April 2019. PwC’s appointment as external auditor will be effective immediately after the conclusion of KPMG’s appointment, subject to shareholder approval at the AGM for the year ending 31 December 2018, the Board having resolved to fill the vacancy in the office of auditor that so arises with PwC.
An external audit fee of R38.8m (US$2.7m) for the period was approved, as well as R8.1m (US$570,000) for audit-related fees.
The Committee has a documented policy on the nature and extent of non-audit services that the external auditors can provide and pre-approves all audit and permitted non-audit assignments by the Company’s independent auditor.
The Committee reviewed the annual audit plan presented at its meeting in August 2018, including the scope, materiality levels and significant risk areas, and established that the approach was appropriate to be responsive to organisational, regulatory changes and other applicable requirements and risks. The audit plan forms the basis of providing the Committee with the necessary assurances on risk management, the internal control environment and information technology (IT) governance. The plan was approved.
The Committee monitors progress against the plan and KPMG presented its first progress report during the November 2018 committee meeting. The auditors presented all issues identified during the audit, particularly on the results of the work performed on high-risk areas, significant estimates and judgements, as well as significant and unusual transactions.
Throughout the year, KPMG had direct access to the Committee and met with the Committee Chairperson before each meeting and on an ad hoc basis, when required. KPMG reported to the Committee at each quarterly meeting as well as at the year-end meeting. In addition, the Committee regularly met with KPMG separately without other invitees being present. The Committee is satisfied that KPMG is independent of the Group.
Significant areas requiring the use of management estimates and assumptions are detailed in note1 to the accounting policies. Position papers were presented to the Committee by management detailing the estimates and assumptions used, the external sources and experts consulted and the basis on which they were applied in the calculations. These were debated and interrogated by the Committee and included, but were not limited to, the following areas:
The impairments identified and recorded included:
The Committee is satisfied that a detailed review has been carried out by management, including the internal tax team, to provide a best estimate of the tax liability for the year (refer to note 9 in the financial statements).
The Committee discussed the detailed papers on deferred tax presented at year end. An additional deferred tax asset amounting to US$6.2m was recognised at Damang to the extent that there will be sufficient future taxable income available. Deferred tax liabilities of US$7.2m and US$2.1m were recognised in respect of unremitted earnings at Tarkwa and Cerro Corona, respectively.
The South Deep expected tax rate reduced from 30% to 29%, which had the effect of reducing the deferred tax asset by R127m (US$9m) at 31 December 2018.
The Committee is satisfied with management’s assessment and the resultant accounting for the Asanko transaction as disclosed in note 15. This transaction resulted in a gain on acquisition of US$51.8m and the following assets being recognised:
The Committee is satisfied with management’s assessment and implementation of IFRS 9 and IFRS 15. These standards did not have a material impact on the Group.
A number of contingent liabilities are disclosed in detail in note35 to the financial statements. The contingent liabilities cover the silicosis matter, acid mine drainage, and the Randgold and Exploration summons. No new contingent liabilities were identified in 2018. In terms of the South Deep tax dispute, the Group announced that on 30 May 2018, GFI Joint Venture Holdings Proprietary Limited (GFIJVH) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) entered into a confidential settlement agreement (as provided for in the Tax Administration Act) in full and final settlement of this matter. As a result of the settlement, GFIJVH recognised an additional R2,708m (US$185.1m) of capital allowance with a tax benefit on this amount of R785m (US$53.7m).
All these matters are receiving ongoing attention from management, who are taking the appropriate advice from external advisers and specialists. The Committee was updated as to the current status and, based on the evidence presented, concurred that it was not possible at this time to provide a reliable estimate of any possible liability. This position is unchanged from the prior year.
Gold Fields Internal Audit (GFIA) is an independent department within Gold Fields which is headed by a Vice President: Internal Audit (VP: IA), who is appointed and can be dismissed by the Committee. The VP: IA reports directly to the Committee and the Committee assesses the performance of GFIA annually. The VP: IA has direct access to the Chairperson, members of the Committee and the Chairperson of the Board. The Chairperson meets with the VP: IA once a quarter and on an ad hoc basis, as required. The VP: IA also meets with the Committee, without management, at least annually and whenever deemed necessary by either the VP: IA or the Committee.
The Committee is satisfied with the resources of the function and is confident that the skills and experience of the team will fulfil its mandate.
The Committee determines the purpose, authority and responsibility of GFIA in an Internal Audit Charter, which is reviewed and approved annually. GFIA operates in accordance with the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing as prescribed by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). The internal audit activities carried out during the year were identified through a combination of the Gold Fields risk management framework, which includes the combined assurance framework, and the risk-based methodologies adopted by GFIA. The Committee approves the annual internal audit assurance plan presented by GFIA and monitors progress against the plan reported to the Committee each quarter. GFIA has ensured its framework is aligned with the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s (COSO) 2013 internal control framework.
The internal control systems of the Group are designed to provide reasonable assurance on the maintenance of proper accounting records and the reliability of financial information. It also covers operational areas, compliance with the Gold Fields Code of Conduct and the sustainability records. These systems are monitored by GFIA and its findings and recommendations are reported to the Committee and to senior management.
GFIA reports deficiencies to the Committee every quarter, together with recommended remedial actions, which are then followed up to ensure the necessary action has been taken. GFIA provided the Committee with a written report which assessed that the internal financial controls, IT governance and the risk management processes were adequate during the year.
GFIA has provided the Audit Committee with a written assurance statement on the adequacy and effectiveness of governance, risk management and controls. No significant event has occurred or has any been brought to Internal Audit’s attention, to believe that governance, risk management and the control environment is inadequate or ineffective.
I&T governance remains a key focus for the Group, and the Committee is responsible for information and communication technology (ICT) governance on behalf of the Board. The Committee works with the Risk Committee on ICT matters.
The Vice President and Group Head of ICT is responsible for executing on ICT governance. The Committee reviews his report, which includes the results of all review and testing conducted by management and internal audit, at each meeting. The Gold Fields ICT Charter defines the overall direction and governance for ICT across the Group.
Gold Fields has adopted the Control Objectives for Information Technology (COBIT) as a governance framework, and regular assessments are conducted that determine the maturity of ICT governance processes. Across the Group, Gold Field's ICT is operating at an overall maturity level of between three and four, which indicates that the Group’s governance framework and processes are formally defined and monitored. Further, considering the nature of cyber security and the rising global cyber risk, Gold Fields has embarked on a journey to further enhance its cyber security. Areas of ICT risks across the Group have been defined as part of the Group’s overall risk management framework, and formal policies and procedures are documented and updated regularly for these areas.
Cyber security has now become a key component of I&T governance and forms part of the Group’s ICT governance and risk agenda.
The Governance, Risk, Architecture, Standards, and Security Compliance (GRASSC) Committee is responsible for ensuring compliance and adherence to the Group’s ICT policies and procedures. The GRASSC Committee reviews compliance to the governance framework quarterly and recommends improvements as appropriate.
The Committee evaluated the expertise and performance of the CFO, Paul Schmidt. The Committee continues to be satisfied that Mr Schmidt has the appropriate expertise and experience to carry out his duties as CFO of the Company and the Group, and is supported by highly qualified and competent senior staff. This conclusion is supported by input from both internal and external auditors.
The Committee is also responsible for monitoring governance and compliance for the Group – a key focus area for the Board and management as a whole.
The Group Compliance Officer has a detailed, systemic and risk-based framework in place which are overseen, managed and maintained by an online and interactive Group Governance and Compliance Portal. The framework is applied to identify all statutes, rules, codes and standards applicable to Gold Fields in all jurisdictions in which the Group operates. Updates on regulatory changes are sourced from external legal sources and internally assessed for application and impact. Changes are recorded and monitored on a monthly basis. The assessment of potential and/or actual risk exposure of non-compliance regarding the identified applicable statutes per jurisdiction, includes potential exposure to financial loss, as well as operational and reputational risks, and the adequacy of recorded controls. Mitigating controls designed to proactively manage the risks are identified, documented and maintained. Internal audit carries out a review of the effectiveness (in terms of design and operating effectiveness) of the control procedures and reports on the level of compliance. The results are reported to the Committee in detailed schedules and an annual compliance index is calculated for the Group.
Also, under the ambit of risk exposure assessment, all active suppliers and contractors are screened on a monthly basis, based on an array of predefined risk criteria and adverse media exposure. A screening risk calculator is applied to those assessed entities posing a risk to Gold Fields, based on the outcome of the screening due diligence.
The Committee also ensures that the Gold Fields Code of Conduct is effective and implemented diligently throughout the Group (available on the Gold Fields website at www.goldfields.com). All breaches and contraventions are diligently investigated and, where necessary, decisive action is taken, which may include disciplinary action. Continued Code of Conduct training and awareness have remained a key focus area during 2018, following the launch of an e-learning programme in late 2017 to reinforce the provisions and application of the Code of Conduct.
The Committee is also responsible for ensuring that all calls to the Gold Fields Tip-Offs line – administered by an independent external party – are dealt with in a proactive manner within Gold Fields. The Chairperson of the Audit Committee, together with GFIA, are custodians of the formalised and documented investigation procedure in place and, where appropriate and necessary, will make use of external advisers and experts to investigate matters or follow up on processes. The number and nature of these calls are reported at the quarterly Committee meetings. The details, including the detail of the action taken, are also reported by the Chairperson to the Social, Ethics and Transformation (SET) Committee members.
Gold Fields has also reaffirmed its commitment to fighting bribery and corruption by implementing a Group Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy in late 2016, within the ambit of a formal Group Anti-Bribery and Corruption Framework.
A separate Risk Committee exists which deals with Group operational and financial risks, as well as the requisite reporting as required annually. There is ongoing interaction between the Risk and Audit committees, and the management of financial risk remains a key focus of the Committee, management and internal audit. Gold Fields’ Group and regional risk disclosures.
Management is accountable to the Board for the design, implementation, monitoring and integrating of internal financial controls for the day-to-day running of the Group, focusing on the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, safeguarding the Group’s assets, legal and regulatory compliance, business sustainability and reliable reporting, including financial reporting.
The Committee has discussed and documented the basis for its conclusion which includes discussions with internal and external auditors as well as management.
The Committee is of the opinion that the internal controls are effective and the financial records can be relied upon as a reasonable basis for the preparation of the annual financial statements.
The Committee considered and discussed the Annual Financial Report, the Corporate Governance Report and the IAR with both management and the external auditors.
During this process, the Committee:
The Committee considers that the Annual Financial Report and the IAR comply in all material respects with the statutory requirements of the various regulations governing disclosure and reporting, and the annual financial statements comply in all material respects with the Companies Act and IFRS.
The Committee has recommended to the Board that the annual financial statements included in the Annual Financial Report be adopted and approved by the Board.
Yunus Suleman
Chairperson: Audit Committee
25 March 2019