Statement of Management Responsibility including Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Table of Contents
- Statement of Management Responsibility Including Internal Control over Financial Reporting
- Statement of Financial Position (unaudited)
- Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position (unaudited)
- Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt (unaudited)
- Statement of Cash Flows (unaudited)
- Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)for the year ended March 31
- Authority and Objectives
- Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
- Parliamentary Authorities
- Accounts Payable and accrued liabilities
- Employee future benefits
- Tangible capital assets
- Related party transactions
- Transfer of the transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears
- Segmented information
- Annex to the Statement of Management Responsibility Including Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Statement of Management Responsibility Including Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Responsibility for the integrity and objectivity of the accompanying financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2016 and all information contained in these statements rests with the management of Veterans Review and Appeal Board. These financial statements have been prepared by management using the Government's accounting policies, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards.
Management is responsible for the integrity and objectivity of the information in these financial statements. Some of the information in the financial statements is based on management's best estimates and judgement, and gives due consideration to materiality. To fulfill its accounting and reporting responsibilities, management maintains a set of accounts that provides a centralized record of Veterans Review and Appeal Board's financial transactions. Financial information submitted in the preparation of the Public Accounts of Canada, and included in Veterans Review and Appeal Board's Departmental Performance Report, is consistent with these financial statements.
Management is also responsible for maintaining an effective system of Internal Control over Financial Reporting (ICFR) designed to provide reasonable assurance that financial information is reliable, that assets are safeguarded and that transactions are properly authorized and recorded in accordance with the Financial Administration Act and other applicable legislation, regulations, authorities and policies.
Management seeks to ensure the objectivity and integrity of data in its financial statements through careful selection, training, and development of qualified staff; through organizational arrangements that provide appropriate divisions of responsibility; through communication programs aimed at ensuring that regulations, policies, standards, and managerial authorities are understood throughout Veterans Review and Appeal Board; and through conducting an annual risk-based assessment of the effectiveness of the system of ICFR.
The system of ICFR is designed to mitigate risks to a reasonable level based on an ongoing process to identify key risks, to assess effectiveness of associated key controls, and to make any necessary adjustments.
The Veterans Review and Appeal Board will be subject to periodic Core Control Audits performed by the Office of the Comptroller General and will use the results of such audits to adhere to the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Control.
In the interim, the Veterans Review and Appeal Board will proceed with a risk-based assessment of the system of ICFR. It should be noted that the Veterans Review and Appeal Board has a service partnership agreement with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) regarding a full range of administrative and financial services. Consequently, the Veterans Review and Appeal Board's ICFR are completely reliant on VAC's ICFR.
The financial statements of Veterans Review and Appeal Board have not been audited.
Thomas Jarmyn, A/Chair,
Charlottetown, Canada
Date - August 30, 2016
Elizabeth M. Stuart, Rear-Admiral (Retired),
Chief Financial Officer,
Charlottetown, Canada
Date - August 19, 2016
| 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Liabilities | ||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (Note 4) | $ 960 | $ 760 |
| Vacation pay and compensatory leave | 162 | 168 |
| Employee future benefits (Note 5) | 610 | 606 |
| Total liabilities | 1,732 | 1,534 |
| Financial assets | ||
| Due from the consolidated Revenue Fund | 960 | 760 |
| Total Financial Assets | 960 | 760 |
| Departmental net debt | 772 | 774 |
| Non-financial assets | ||
| Tangible capital assets (Note 6) | 0 | 0 |
| Total non-financial assets | 0 | 0 |
| Departmental net financial position | $ (772) | $ (774) |
The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
Thomas Jarmyn, A/Chair,
Charlottetown, Canada
Date - August 30, 2016
Elizabeth M. Stuart, Rear-Admiral (Retired),
Chief Financial Officer,
Charlottetown, Canada
Date - August 19, 2016
| 2016 Planned Results |
2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expenses | |||
| Veterans Review and Appeal Board | $ 12,299 | $ 12,367 | $ 12,541 |
| Total expenses | 12,299 | 12,367 | 12,541 |
| Net cost from continuing operations | 12,299 | 12,367 | 12,541 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | 12,299 | 12,367 | 12,541 |
| Government funding and transfers | |||
| Net cash provided by Government | 10,800 | 11,121 | |
| Change in due from Consolidated Revenue Fund | 200 | 295 | |
| Services provided without charge by other government departments (note 7) | 1,369 | 1,323 | |
| Transfer of transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears (note 8) | 0 | (295) | |
| Net cost of operations after government funding and transfers | (2) | (97) | |
| Departmental net financial position - Beginning of year | (774) | (677) | |
| Departmental net financial position - End of year | $ (772) | $ (774) | |
Segmented information (note 9)
The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
| 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Net cost of operations after government funding and transfers | $ (2) | $ 97 |
| Net increase (decrease) in departmental net debt | (2) | 97 |
| Departmental net debt - Beginning of year | 774 | 677 |
| Departmental net debt - End of year | $ 772 | $ 774 |
The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
| 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating activities | ||
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | $ 12,367 | $ 12,541 |
| Non-cash items: | ||
| Services provided without charge by other government departments | (1,369) | (1,323) |
| Transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears (note 8) | 0 | 295 |
| Variations in Statement of Financial Position | ||
| Increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities | (200) | (294) |
| Decrease in vacation pay and compensatory leave | 6 | 37 |
| Increase in future employee benefits | (4) | (135) |
| Cash used for operating activities | 10,800 | 11,212 |
| Net cash provided by Government of Canada | $ 10,800 | $ 11,121 |
The accompanying notes form an integral part of these statements.
Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited) for the year ended
March 31
1. Authority and Objectives
The Veterans Review and Appeal Board was established in 1995 pursuant to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board Act. The Veterans Review and Appeal Board received full departmental status by Order in Council in 2009.
Veterans Review and Appeal Board is a division of the public service named in Schedule I.1 of the Financial Administration Act. The Minister of Veterans Affairs is designated the appropriate Minister for the Veterans Review and Appeal Board in Parliament and at Cabinet.
The Veterans Review and Appeal Board program provides Canada's traditional Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans, Royal Canadian Mounted Police members, qualified civilians and their families with full opportunity to request review and appeal hearings to ensure a fair adjudicative process for disability pension, disability award, and War Veterans Allowance applications.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
These financial statements have been prepared using the Government's accounting policies stated below, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards. The presentation and results using the stated accounting policies do not result in any significant differences from Canadian public sector accounting standards.
Significant accounting policies are as follows:
(a) Parliamentary authorities
Veterans Review and Appeal Board is financed by the Government of Canada through Parliamentary authorities. Financial reporting of authorities provided to Veterans Review and Appeal Board do not parallel financial reporting according to generally accepted accounting principles since authorities are primarily based on cash flow requirements. Consequently, items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Financial Position are not necessarily the same as those provided through authorities from Parliament. Note 3 provides a reconciliation between the bases of reporting.
The planned results amounts in the "Expenses" section of the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position are the amounts reported in the Future-oriented Statement of Operations included in the 2015-2016 Report on Plans and Priorities. Planned results are not presented in the "Government funding and transfers" sections of the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt because these amounts were not included in the 2015-2016 Report on Plans and Priorities.
(b) Net cash provided by Government
Veterans Review and Appeal Board operates within the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is administered by the Receiver General for Canada. All cash received by Veterans Review and Appeal Board is deposited to the CRF and all cash disbursements made by Veterans Review and Appeal Board are paid from the CRF. The net cash provided by Government is the difference between all cash receipts and all cash disbursements including transactions between departments of the federal government.
(c) Amounts due from or to the CRF are the result of timing differences at year-end between when a transaction affects authorities and when it is processed through the CRF. Amounts due from the CRF represent the net amount of cash that the Veterans Review and Appeal Board is entitled to draw from the CRF without further authorities to discharge its liabilities.
(d) Expenses are recorded on the accrual basis:
- Vacation pay and compensatory leave are accrued as the benefits are earned by employees under their respective terms of employment.
- Services provided without charge by other government departments for accommodation and the employer contribution to the health and dental insurance plans are recorded as operating expenses at their estimated cost.
(e) Employee future benefits
- Pension benefits: Eligible employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan, a multiemployer pension plan, administered by the Government. Veterans Review and Appeal Board's contributions to the Plan are charged to expense in the year incurred and represent its total obligation to the Plan. Veterans Review and Appeal Board's responsibility with regards to the Plan is limited to its contributions. Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the financial statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan's sponsor.
- Severance benefits: Employees entitled to severance benefits under labour contracts or conditions of employment earn these benefits as services necessary to earn them are rendered. The obligation relating to the benefits earned by employees is calculated using information derived from the results of the actuarially determined liability for employee severance benefits for the Government as a whole.
(f) Tangible capital assets
All tangible capital assets and leasehold improvements having an initial cost of $10,000 or more are recorded at their acquisition cost. Veterans Review and Appeal Board does not capitalize intangibles, works of art and historical treasures that have cultural, aesthetic or historical value, assets located on Indian Reserves and museum collections.
Amortization of tangible capital assets is done on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset as follows:
| Asset Class | Amortization Period |
|---|---|
| Machinery and equipment | 5-15 Years |
(g) Measurement uncertainty
The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses reported in the financial statements. At the time of preparation of these statements, management believes the estimates and assumptions are reasonable. The most significant items where estimates are used are the useful life of tangible capital assets and the liability for employee future benefits. Actual results could significantly differ from those estimated. Management's estimates are reviewed periodically and, as adjustments become necessary, they are recorded in the financial statements in the year they become known.
3. Parliamentary Authorities
Veterans Review and Appeal Board receives most of its funding through annual parliamentary authorities. Items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and the Statement of Financial Position in one year may be funded through parliamentary authorities in prior, current or future years. Accordingly, Veterans Review and Appeal Board has different net results of operations for the year on a government funding basis than on an accrual accounting basis. The differences are reconciled in the following tables:
(a) Reconciliation of net cost of operations to current year authorities used
| 2016 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands of dollars) | |||
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | $ 12,367 | $ 12,541 | |
| Adjustments for items affecting net cost of operations but not affecting authorities: | |||
| Services provided without charge by other government departments | (1,369) | (1,323) | |
| Decrease in vacation pay and compensatory leave | 6 | 37 | |
| Increase in employee future benefits | (4) | (135) | |
| Transition payment for implementing salary payments in arrears | 0 | 295 | |
| Other | 2 | 8 | |
| N/A | 11,002 | 11,423 | |
| Current year authorities used | $ 11,002 | $ 11,423 | |
(b) Authorities provided and used
| 2016 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands of dollars) | |||
| Vote 10 - Operating expenditures | $ 9,934 | $ 10,129 | |
| Statutory amounts | 1,325 | 1,343 | |
| N/A | 11,259 | 11,472 | |
| Less: | |||
| Unused authorities | (257) | (49) | |
| N/A | (257) | (49) | |
| Current year authorities used | $ 11,002 | $ 11,423 | |
4. Accounts Payable and accrued liabilies
The following table presents details of the Veterans Review and Appeal Board's accounts payable and accrued liabilities:
| 2016 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands of dollars) | |||
| Accounts payable to other government departments and agencies | $ 19 | $ 46 | |
| Accrued liabilities | 947 | 741 | |
| Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ 960 | $ 760 | |
5. Employee future benefits
(a) Pension benefits: Veterans Review and Appeal Board employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan (the "Plan"), which is sponsored and administered by the Government of Canada. Pension benefits accrue up to a maximum period of 35 years at a rate of 2 percent per year of pensionable service, times the average of the best five consecutive years of earnings. The benefits are integrated with Canada/Québec Pension Plans benefits and they are indexed to inflation.
Both the employees and Veterans Review and Appeal Board contribute to the cost of the Plan. Due to the amendment of the Public Service Superannuation Act following the implementation of provisions related to Canada's Economic Action Plan 2012, employee contributors have been divided into two groups – Group 1 relates to existing plan members as of December 31, 2012 and group 2 relates to members joining the Plan as of January 1, 2013. Each group has a distinct contribution rate.
The 2015-2016 expense amounts to $913,159 ($917,809 in 2014-2015). For Group 1 members, the expense represents approximately 1.25 times (1.41 times for 2014-2015) the employee contributions and, for Group 2 members, approximately 1.24 times (1.39 times in 2014-2015) the employee contributions.
Veterans Review and Appeal Board's responsibility with regards to the Plan is limited to its contributions. Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the financial statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan's sponsor.
(b) Severance benefits: Veterans Review and Appeal Board provides severance benefits to its employees based on eligibility, years of service and salary at termination of employment. These severance benefits are not pre-funded. Benefits will be paid from future authorities. Information about the severance benefits, measured as at March 31, is as follows:
As part of collective agreement negotiations with certain employee groups, and changes to conditions of employment for executives and certain non-represented employees, the accumulation of severance benefits under the employee severance pay program ceased for these employees commencing in 2012. Employees subject to these changes have been given the option to be immediately paid the full or partial value of benefits earned to date or collect the full or remaining value to benefits on termination from the public service. These changes have been reflected in the calculation of the outstanding severance benefit obligation.
| 2016 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands of dollars) | |||
| Accrued benefit obligation - beginning of year | $ 606 | $ 471 | |
| Expenses for the year | 59 | 267 | |
| Benefits paid during the year | (55) | (132) | |
| Accrued benefit obligation - end of year | $ 610 | $ 606 | |
6.Tangible capital assets
The following tables present details of tangible capital assets: (in thousands of dollars)
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital asset class | Opening balance | Acquisitions | Closing balance |
| Machinery and equipment | $ 68 | $ 0 | $ 68 |
| Total | $ 68 | $ 0 | $ 68 |
| Accumulated Amortization | |||
| Capital asset class | Opening balance | Amortization | Closing balance |
| Machinery and equipment | $ 68 | $ 0 | $ 68 |
| Total | $ 68 | $ 0 | $ 68 |
| Net Book Value | ||
|---|---|---|
| Capital Asset Class | 2016 Net book value |
2015 Net book value |
| Machinery and equipment | $ 0 | $ 0 |
| Total | $ 0 | $ 0 |
7. Related party transactions
Veterans Review and Appeal Board is related as a result of common ownership to all government departments, agencies and Crown corporations. Veterans Review and Appeal Board enters into transactions with these entities in the normal course of business and on normal trade terms. During the year, Veterans Review and Appeal Board received common services which were obtained without charge from other government departments as disclosed below.
a) Common services provided without charge by other government departments:
During the year, Veterans Review and Appeal Board received services without charge from certain common service organizations, related to accommodation and the employer's contribution to the health and dental insurance plans. These services provided without charge have been recorded in the Veterans Review and Appeal Board's Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position as follows:
| N/A | 2016 | N/A | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands of dollars) | |||
| Accommodation | $ 653 | $ 653 | |
| Employer's contribution to the health and dental insurance plans | 716 | 670 | |
| N/A | |||
| Total | $ 1,369 | $ 1,323 | |
The Government has centralized some of its administrative activities for efficiency, cost-effectiveness purposes and economic delivery of programs to the public. As a result, the Government uses central agencies and common service organizations so that one department performs services for all other departments and agencies without charge. The cost of these services, such as the payroll and cheque issuance services provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada and audit services provided by the Office of the Auditor General are not included in the Veterans Review and Appeal Board's Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position.
(b) Other transactions with related parties
| 2016 | 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands of dollars) | |||
| Accounts payable - Other government department and agencies | $ 13 | $ 19 | |
| Expenses - Other Government departments and agencies | 167 | 204 | |
| Total | $ 180 | $ 223 | |
Expenses disclosed in (b) exclude common services provided without charge, which are already disclosed in (a).
8. Transfer of the transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears
The Government of Canada implemented salary payments in arrears in 2014-15. As a result, a one-time payment was issued to employees and will be recovered from them in the future. The transition to salary payments in arrears forms part of the transformation initiative that replaces the pay system and also streamlines and modernizes the pay processes. This change to the pay system had no impact on the expenses ofthe board. However, it did result in the use of additional spending and authorities by the board. Prior to year-end 2014-15, the transition payments for implementing salary payments in arrears were transferred a central account administered by Public Works and Government Services Canada, who is responsible for the administration of the Government pay system.
9. Segmented Information
Presentation by segment is based on the Veterans Review and Appeal Board's program alignment architecture. The presentation by segment is based on the same accounting policies as described in the Summary of significant accounting policies in note 2. The following table presents the expenses incurred by major object of expense. The segmented results for the period are as follows:
| (in thousands of dollars) | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating | ||
| Salaries and employee benefits | $ 10,460 | $ 10,404 |
| Transportation and communications | 642 | 825 |
| Accommodations | 653 | 653 |
| Professional and special services | 351 | 431 |
| Utilities, materials and supplies | 55 | 66 |
| Repairs and maintenance | 75 | 61 |
| Amortization | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 131 | 101 |
| Total operating expenses | 12,367 | 12,541 |
| Total expenses | 12,367 | 12,541 |
Net Cost from continuing operations |
$ 12,367 |
$ 12,541 |
Statement of Management Responsibility including Internal Control over Financial Reporting for the Fiscal Year 2015-2016
Annex to the Statement of Management Responsiblity including Internal Control over Financial Reporting
1. Introduction
In support of an effective system of internal control, the Veterans Review and Appeal Board annually assesses the performance of its financial controls to ensure:
- financial arrangements or contracts are entered into only when sufficient funding is available;
- payments for goods and services are made only when the goods or services are received or the conditions of contracts or other arrangements have been satisfied; and
- payments have been properly authorized.
Detailed information on the Veterans Review and Appeal Board's authority, mandate, and program activities can be found in Departmental Performance Report and Report on Plans and Priorities.
The Veterans Review and Appeal Board will leverage the results of the periodic Core Control Audit performed by the Office of the Comptroller General.
2. Assessment results during fiscal year 2015-2016
The Veterans Review and Appeal Board relies on Veterans Affairs Canada for the processing of transactions that are recorded in its financial statements.
Ongoing monitoring of financial transaction controls is in place to ensure that they continue to perform as expected. Overall, controls related to payment for goods and services and payment authority were functioning well and form an adequate basis for the Veterans Review and Appeal Board's system of internal control.
3. Assessment plan
The Veterans Review and Appeal Board will continue to monitor the performance of its system of internal control with a focus on the core controls related to financial transactions.