Meta PixelAnnual Audit Report 2024 — Province of Negros Oriental — Page 58

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           accordance with Item III (7) of Annex B of the COA Circular No. 2022-004.
           However, to date, the Audit Team has not yet received the ITR or any equivalent
           report.

   5.8     As a result, the CIP-Buildings and Other Structures account was overstated by
           ₱11,495,167.80, while the Inventory and Expense accounts were understated by
           an undetermined amount, pending the submission of the ITR and other
           supporting documents.

   5.9     It should be noted that for the transfer of property without cost to another local
           government unit, Section 381 of Republic Act (RA) No. 7160 requires that such
           transfer be subject to the approval of the sanggunian of the transferor, and the
           head of the office, agency, subdivision, instrumentality or local government unit
           receiving the property.

   5.10    We recommended and the Provincial Accountant agreed to prepare the
           necessary adjustments to properly classify the service drop wires as
           Inventory Held for Distribution and require the Property Custodian to
           submit the ITR and other supporting documents as the basis for the
           preparation of the necessary adjustments in the books to recognize the
           transfer of expendable property, in accordance with IPSAS 12, COA
           Circular No. 2015-009 dated December 1, 2015, and COA Circular No.
           2022-004 dated May 31, 2022.

Misclassification of Borrowing Costs Leading to Overstatement of Expenses

6. Borrowing costs amounting to ₱ 5,035,754.82 were expensed outright, which is
   inconsistent with paragraph 18 of IPSAS 5 that requires the capitalization of
   borrowing costs for qualifying assets, thereby overstating expenses and
   understating asset accounts.

   6.1     Paragraph 5 of IPSAS 5 defines borrowing costs and qualifying assets as
           follows:

          “ Borrowing costs are interest and other expenses incurred by an entity
            in connection with the borrowing of funds.

             Qualifying asset is an asset that necessarily takes a substantial period
             of time to get ready for its intended use or sale.”

   6.2     As provided under Paragraph 13 thereof, examples of qualifying assets are
           office buildings, hospitals, infrastructure assets such as roads, bridges, and
           power generation facilities, as well as inventories that require a substantial
           period of time to be brought to a condition ready for use or sale.

   6.3     The Standard states that borrowing costs are recognized as an expense in the
           period in which they are incurred, except to the extent that they are capitalized
           in accordance with paragraph 18. Paragraph 18 specifies that borrowing costs
           directly attributable to the acquisition, construction, or production of a
           qualifying asset should be capitalized as part of the cost of that asset. Such

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