Keeping Good Companies articles from March 2005

Keeping Good Companies archives from March 2005

Structural tensions in the government sector.(Applied Corporate Governance)
March 1, 2005... Company Secretaries in the government-owned sector face a set of challenges that are every bit as complex and demanding as those faced by their private sector counterparts. Government-owned organisations are, however, very different from...

Auditor independence and the role of the client.(News And Views)
March 1, 2005... Recent corporate failures and the government response through the Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (Audit Reform and Corporate Disclosures) Act 2004 (CLERP 9) have pushed the topic of auditor independence to the forefront of discussions...

The myths of business continuity and disaster recovery.
March 1, 2005... Twenty years ago, disaster recovery was the buzzword du jour and businesses only concerned themselves with lost revenue and other tangible losses. Businesses behaved in reactive mode when disaster struck, a mode which is only one component of...

In the dark: what boards and executives don't know about the health of their businesses.(Company Secretary)
March 1, 2005... Business failures in recent years have highlighted many different lessons, from the perils of weak auditing to the risks of inadequate governance structures. One lesson, however, has been shared in common--financial statements do not provide a...

Corporate governance on the menu for IT.(News And Views)(Information technology services)
March 1, 2005... Legislative regulations are demanding that companies are actively seen to protect shareholders, customers, suppliers and employees with regard to transparent reporting, transactions, communications and processes. As with Y2K, organisations will...

Serving two masters: some practical issues relating to enhanced remuneration reporting.(Corporate Law)(Corporations Act 2001)
March 1, 2005... In 2004, the Commonwealth Government and the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) decided to revamp the requirements for disclosure of executive remuneration by listed companies. In January, Accounting Standard AASB 1046 (as amended...

The path to workplace relations reform: a road well-trodden.(Employment Law)
March 1, 2005... A central plank of both the Coalition's 2002 and 2004 election platforms was a continuation of the path to reform in the workplace relations arena. This plank was also a substantial point of difference between the major parties in the lead-up...

Ensuring that insureds are assured of insurance practices? Part 1.(Insurance Law)
March 1, 2005... Over a decade ago, in 1994, the General Insurance Code of Practice (the Code) was introduced in Australia and was designed to lift standards across the industry. Thus far the Code has been widely recognised by the government, regulators and...

The answer to Australia's ageing population problem.(Management)
March 1, 2005... The recently released Productivity Commission report on Australia's ageing population estimates ageing baby-boomers are going to cost the federal and state governments (read taxpayers) an extra $2200 billion over the next 40 years. And the only...

Pooling laws leave creditors floundering.(News And Views)
March 1, 2005... One downside of the sophisticated commercial environment in which Australian companies now operate is the escalating number of collapses involving large groups of interconnected companies. When such groups go to the wall, it can be...

Reporting against the ASX Corporate Governance Council guidelines: a shift towards performance?(Risk Management)(Australian Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Council)
March 1, 2005... The ASX Corporate Governance Council was formed in 2002 to develop an industry-wide framework for corporate governance. The resulting Governance Council's Principles of good corporate governance and best practice recommendations (ASXCGC...

Operation nest egg: how your employees will be targeted in the new choice world.(Superannuation Law)
March 1, 2005... As time for preparation for the new choice regime ebbs away, employers are having to come to grips with problems of its 'real-world' implementation in time for commencement of the new regime on 1 July 2005. This article covers some of the...

ATO raises the bar on corporate governance and managing tax risk.(Taxation Law)(Australian Taxation Office)
March 1, 2005... One of the hottest topics in the taxation arena in recent times has been the debate concerning the extent to which the implementation and active monitoring of tax-management policies by company directors should be considered an essential...