Equity method

Under the equity method, on initial recognition the investment in an associate or a joint venture is recognised at cost, and the carrying amount is increased or decreased to recognise the investor’s share of the profit or loss of the investee after the date of acquisition. The investor’s share of the investee’s profit or loss is recognised in the investor’s profit or loss. Distributions received from an investee reduce the carrying amount of the investment. Adjustments to the carrying amount may also be necessary for changes in the investor’s proportionate interest in the investee arising from changes in the investee’s other comprehensive income. Such changes include those arising from the revaluation of property, plant and equipment and from foreign exchange translation differences. The investor’s share of those changes is recognised in the investor’s other comprehensive income (see IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements).

The recognition of income on the basis of distributions received may not be an adequate measure of the income earned by an investor on an investment in an associate or a joint venture because the distributions received may bear little relation to the performance of the associate or joint venture. Because the investor has joint control of, or significant influence over, the investee, the investor has an interest in the associate’s or joint venture’s performance and, as a result, the return on its investment. The investor accounts for this interest by extending the scope of its financial statements to include its share of the profit or loss of such an investee. As a result, application of the equity method provides more informative reporting of the investor’s net assets and profit or loss.

When potential voting rights or other derivatives containing potential voting rights exist, an entity’s interest in an associate or a joint venture is determined solely on the basis of existing ownership interests and does not reflect the possible exercise or conversion of potential voting rights and other derivative instruments, unless paragraph 13 applies.

In some circumstances, an entity has, in substance, an existing ownership as a result of a transaction that currently gives it access to the returns associated with an ownership interest. In such circumstances, the proportion allocated to the entity is determined by taking into account the eventual exercise of those potential voting rights and other derivative instruments that currently give the entity access to the returns.

IFRS 9 Financial Instruments does not apply to interests in associates and joint ventures that are accounted for using the equity method. When instruments containing potential voting rights in substance currently give access to the returns associated with an ownership interest in an associate or a joint venture, the instruments are not subject to IFRS 9. In all other cases, instruments containing potential voting rights in an associate or a joint venture are accounted for in accordance with IFRS 9.

An entity also applies IFRS 9 to other financial instruments in an associate or joint venture to which the equity method is not applied. These include long-term interests that, in substance, form part of the entity’s net investment in an associate or joint venture. An entity applies IFRS 9 to such long-term interests before it applies this Standard. In applying IFRS 9, the entity does not take account of any adjustments to the carrying amount of long-term interests that arise from applying this Standard.

Unless an investment, or a portion of an investment, in an associate or a joint venture is classified as held for sale in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations, the investment, or any retained interest in the investment not classified as held for sale, shall be classified as a non-current asset.

The Standard defines the equity method as a method of accounting whereby the investment is initially recognised at cost and adjusted thereafter for the post-acquisition change in the investor’s share of net assets of the investee. The profit or loss of the investor includes its share of the profit or loss of the investee and the other comprehensive income of the investor includes its share of other comprehensive income of the investee.

An entity uses the equity method to account for its investments in associates or joint ventures in its consolidated financial statements. An entity that does not have any subsidiaries also uses the equity method to account for its investments in associates or joint ventures in its financial statements even though those are not described as consolidated financial statements. An entity could elect to use the equity method in its separate financial statements that it presents in accordance with IAS 27 Separate Financial Statements.

Application of the equity method

An entity with joint control of, or significant influence over, an investee shall account for its investment in an associate or a joint venture using the equity method except when that investment qualifies for exemption.

Exemptions from applying the equity method

An entity need not apply the equity method to its investment in an associate or a joint venture if the entity is a parent that is exempt from preparing consolidated financial statements by the scope exception in IFRS 10 or if all the following apply:

1. (a)

The entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary, or is a partially-owned subsidiary of another entity and its other owners, including those not otherwise entitled to vote, have been informed about, and do not object to, the entity not applying the equity method.

2. (b)

The entity’s debt or equity instruments are not traded in a public market (a domestic or foreign stock exchange or an over-the-counter market, including local and regional markets).

3. (c)

The entity did not file, nor is it in the process of filing, its financial statements with a securities commission or other regulatory organisation, for the purpose of issuing any class of instruments in a public market.

4. (d)

The ultimate or any intermediate parent of the entity produces financial statements available for public use that comply with IFRSs, in which subsidiaries are consolidated or are measured at fair value through profit or loss in accordance with IFRS 10.

When an investment in an associate or a joint venture is held by, or is held indirectly through, an entity that is a venture capital organisation, or a mutual fund, unit trust and similar entities including investment-linked insurance funds, the entity may elect to measure that investment at fair value through profit or loss in accordance with IFRS 9. An entity shall make this election separately for each associate or joint venture, at initial recognition of the associate or joint venture.

When an investment in an associate or a joint venture is held by, or is held indirectly through, an entity that is a venture capital organization, or a mutual fund, unit trust and similar entities including investment-linked insurance funds, the entity may elect to measure investments in those associates and joint ventures at fair value through profit or loss in accordance with IFRS 9. An example of an investment-linked insurance fund is a fund held by an entity as the underlying items for a group of insurance contracts with direct participation features. An entity shall make this election separately for each associate or joint venture, at initial recognition of the associate or joint venture.

When an entity has an investment in an associate, a portion of which is held indirectly through a venture capital organization, or a mutual fund, unit trust and similar entities including investment-linked insurance funds, the entity may elect to measure that portion of the investment in the associate at fair value through profit or loss in accordance with IFRS 9 regardless of whether the venture capital organization, or the mutual fund, unit trust and similar entities including investment-linked insurance funds, has significant influence over that portion of the investment. If the entity makes that election, the entity shall apply the equity method to any remaining portion of its investment in an associate that is not held through a venture capital organization, or a mutual fund, unit trust and similar entities including investment-linked insurance funds.

The Standard provides exemptions from applying the equity method similar to those provided in IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements for parents not to prepare consolidated financial statements.

The Standard also provides exemptions from applying the equity method when the investment in the associate or joint venture is held by, or is held indirectly through, venture capital organizations, or mutual funds, unit trusts and similar entities including investment-linked insurance funds. Those investments in associates and joint ventures may be measured at fair value through profit or loss in accordance with IFRS 9 Financial Instruments.

Discontinuing the use of the equity method

An entity shall discontinue the use of the equity method from the date when its investment ceases to be an associate or a joint venture as follows:

1. (a)

If the investment becomes a subsidiary, the entity shall account for its investment in accordance with IFRS 3 Business Combinations and IFRS 10.

2. (b)

If the retained interest in the former associate or joint venture is a financial asset, the entity shall measure the retained interest at fair value. The fair value of the retained interest shall be regarded as its fair value on initial recognition as a financial asset in accordance with IFRS 9. The entity shall recognise in profit or loss any difference between:

1. (i)

the fair value of any retained interest and any proceeds from disposing of a part interest in the associate or joint venture; and

2. (ii)

the carrying amount of the investment at the date the equity method was discontinued.

3. (c)

When an entity discontinues the use of the equity method, the entity shall account for all amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income in relation to that investment on the same basis as would have been required if the investee had directly disposed of the related assets or liabilities.

Therefore, if a gain or loss previously recognised in other comprehensive income by the investee would be reclassified to profit or loss on the disposal of the related assets or liabilities, the entity reclassifies the gain or loss from equity to profit or loss (as a reclassification adjustment) when the equity method is discontinued. For example, if an associate or a joint venture has cumulative exchange differences relating to a foreign operation and the entity discontinues the use of the equity method, the entity shall reclassify to profit or loss the gain or loss that had previously been recognised in other comprehensive income in relation to the foreign operation.

If an investment in an associate becomes an investment in a joint venture or an investment in a joint venture becomes an investment in an associate, the entity continues to apply the equity method and does not remeasure the retained interest.

Changes in ownership interest

If an entity’s ownership interest in an associate or a joint venture is reduced, but the investment continues to be classified either as an associate or a joint venture respectively, the entity shall reclassify to profit or loss the proportion of the gain or loss that had previously been recognised in other comprehensive income relating to that reduction in ownership interest if that gain or loss would be required to be reclassified to profit or loss on the disposal of the related assets or liabilities.

Equity method procedures

Many of the procedures that are appropriate for the application of the equity method are similar to the consolidation procedures described in IFRS 10. Furthermore, the concepts underlying the procedures used in accounting for the acquisition of a subsidiary are also adopted in accounting for the acquisition of an investment in an associate or a joint venture.

A group’s share in an associate or a joint venture is the aggregate of the holdings in that associate or joint venture by the parent and its subsidiaries. The holdings of the group’s other associates or joint ventures are ignored for this purpose. When an associate or a joint venture has subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, the profit or loss, other comprehensive income and net assets taken into account in applying the equity method are those recognised in the associate’s or joint venture’s financial statements (including the associate’s or joint venture’s share of the profit or loss, other comprehensive income and net assets of its associates and joint ventures), after any adjustments necessary to give effect to uniform accounting policies.

Gains and losses resulting from ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’ transactions between an entity (including its consolidated subsidiaries) and its associate or joint venture are recognised in the entity’s financial statements only to the extent of unrelated investors’ interests in the associate or joint venture. ‘Upstream’ transactions are, for example, sales of assets from an associate or a joint venture to the investor. ‘Downstream’ transactions are, for example, sales or contributions of assets from the investor to its associate or its joint venture. The investor’s share in the associate’s or joint venture’s gains or losses resulting from these transactions is eliminated.

Gains and losses resulting from ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’ transactions involving assets that do not constitute a business, as defined in IFRS 3, between an entity (including its consolidated subsidiaries) and its associate or joint venture are recognised in the entity’s financial statements only to the extent of unrelated investors’ interests in the associate or joint venture. ‘Upstream’ transactions are, for example, sales of assets from an associate or a joint venture to the investor. The entity’s share in the associate’s or the joint venture’s gains or losses resulting from these transactions is eliminated. ‘Downstream’ transactions are, for example, sales or contributions of assets from the investor to its associate or its joint venture.

When downstream transactions provide evidence of a reduction in the net realisable value of the assets to be sold or contributed, or of an impairment loss of those assets, those losses shall be recognised in full by the investor. When upstream transactions provide evidence of a reduction in the net realisable value of the assets to be purchased or of an impairment loss of those assets, the investor shall recognise its share in those losses.

The contribution of a non-monetary asset to an associate or a joint venture in exchange for an equity interest in the associate or joint venture shall be accounted for in accordance with paragraph 28, except when the contribution lacks commercial substance, as that term is described in IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment. If such a contribution lacks commercial substance, the gain or loss is regarded as unrealised and is not recognised unless paragraph 31 also applies. Such unrealised gains and losses shall be eliminated against the investment accounted for using the equity method and shall not be presented as deferred gains or losses in the entity’s consolidated statement of financial position or in the entity’s statement of financial position in which investments are accounted for using the equity method.

The gain or loss resulting from the contribution of non-monetary assets that do not constitute a business, as defined in IFRS 3, to an associate or a joint venture in exchange for an equity interest in that associate or joint venture shall be accounted for in accordance with paragraph 28, except when the contribution lacks commercial substance, as that term is described in IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment. If such a contribution lacks commercial substance, the gain or loss is regarded as unrealised and is not recognised unless paragraph 31 also applies. Such unrealised gains and losses shall be eliminated against the investment accounted for using the equity method and shall not be presented as deferred gains or losses in the entity’s consolidated statement of financial position or in the entity’s statement of financial position in which investments are accounted for using the equity method.

If, in addition to receiving an equity interest in an associate or a joint venture, an entity receives monetary or non-monetary assets, the entity recognises in full in profit or loss the portion of the gain or loss on the non-monetary contribution relating to the monetary or non-monetary assets received.

The gain or loss resulting from a downstream transaction involving assets that constitute a business, as defined in IFRS 3, between an entity (including its consolidated subsidiaries) and its associate or joint venture is recognised in full in the investor’s financial statements.

An entity might sell or contribute assets in two or more arrangements (transactions). When determining whether assets that are sold or contributed constitute a business, as defined in IFRS 3, an entity shall consider whether the sale or contribution of those assets is part of multiple arrangements that should be accounted for as a single transaction in accordance with the requirements of IFRS 10.

An investment is accounted for using the equity method from the date on which it becomes an associate or a joint venture. On acquisition of the investment, any difference between the cost of the investment and the entity’s share of the net fair value of the investee’s identifiable assets and liabilities is accounted for as follows:

1. (a)

Goodwill relating to an associate or a joint venture is included in the carrying amount of the investment. Amortisation of that goodwill is not permitted.

2. (b)

Any excess of the entity’s share of the net fair value of the investee’s identifiable assets and liabilities over the cost of the investment is included as income in the determination of the entity’s share of the associate or joint venture’s profit or loss in the period in which the investment is acquired.

Appropriate adjustments to the entity’s share of the associate’s or joint venture’s profit or loss after acquisition are made in order to account, for example, for depreciation of the depreciable assets based on their fair values at the acquisition date. Similarly, appropriate adjustments to the entity’s share of the associate’s or joint venture’s profit or loss after acquisition are made for impairment losses such as for goodwill or property, plant and equipment.

The most recent available financial statements of the associate or joint venture are used by the entity in applying the equity method. When the end of the reporting period of the entity is different from that of the associate or joint venture, the associate or joint venture prepares, for the use of the entity, financial statements as of the same date as the financial statements of the entity unless it is impracticable to do so.

The financial statements of an associate or a joint venture used in applying the equity method are prepared as of a date different from that used by the entity, adjustments shall be made for the effects of significant transactions or events that occur between that date and the date of the entity’s financial statements. In any case, the difference between the end of the reporting period of the associate or joint venture and that of the entity shall be no more than three months. The length of the reporting periods and any difference between the ends of the reporting periods shall be the same from period to period.

The entity’s financial statements shall be prepared using uniform accounting policies for like transactions and events in similar circumstances.

Except as described, if an associate or a joint venture uses accounting policies other than those of the entity for like transactions and events in similar circumstances, adjustments shall be made to make the associate’s or joint venture’s accounting policies conform to those of the entity when the associate’s or joint venture’s financial statements are used by the entity in applying the equity method.

Notwithstanding the requirement in IAS 28, if an entity that is not itself an investment entity has an interest in an associate or joint venture that is an investment entity, the entity may, when applying the equity method, elect to retain the fair value measurement applied by that investment entity associate or joint venture to the investment entity associate’s or joint venture’s interests in subsidiaries. This election is made separately for each investment entity associate or joint venture, at the later of the date on which (a) the investment entity associate or joint venture is initially recognised; (b) the associate or joint venture becomes an investment entity; and (c) the investment entity associate or joint venture first becomes a parent.

If an associate or a joint venture has outstanding cumulative preference shares that are held by parties other than the entity and are classified as equity, the entity computes its share of profit or loss after adjusting for the dividends on such shares, whether or not the dividends have been declared.

If an entity’s share of losses of an associate or a joint venture equals or exceeds its interest in the associate or joint venture, the entity discontinues recognising its share of further losses. The interest in an associate or a joint venture is the carrying amount of the investment in the associate or joint venture determined using the equity method together with any long-term interests that, in substance, form part of the entity’s net investment in the associate or joint venture. For example, an item for which settlement is neither planned nor likely to occur in the foreseeable future is, in substance, an extension of the entity’s investment in that associate or joint venture. Such items may include preference shares and long-term receivables or loans, but do not include trade receivables, trade payables or any long-term receivables for which adequate collateral exists, such as secured loans. Losses recognised using the equity method in excess of the entity’s investment in ordinary shares are applied to the other components of the entity’s interest in an associate or a joint venture in the reverse order of their seniority (i.e., priority in liquidation).

After the entity’s interest is reduced to zero, additional losses are provided for, and a liability is recognised, only to the extent that the entity has incurred legal or constructive obligations or made payments on behalf of the associate or joint venture. If the associate or joint venture subsequently reports profits, the entity resumes recognising its share of those profits only after its share of the profits equals the share of losses not recognised.