Major conflicts of interest of the Maltese statutory auditor : an analysis

Abstract

A Conflict of Interest occurs when a person or group's self-interest comes into conflict with their fiduciary duties, or when a person or group has two fiduciary roles and the duties of one compete with the duties of the other. The auditing profession expects and requires auditors to make decisions based on the .. · guidelines offered by the Code of Ethics. The Code states that warrant holders should weigh the consequences of each possible course of action and determine the best way of complying with the fundamental principles. If the conflict cannot be resolved, then the warrant holders should consult the Accountancy Board or the Malta Institute of Accountancy. If still the conflict remains unsolved, then the Code as a last resort requires warrant holders to refuse to remain associated with the conflict, even if it means withdrawing from the engagement or the firm. This study concludes that sole practitioners face similar conflicts to those faced by non big four audit firms while that big four audit firms face different conflicts as these also face conflicts on an international level. From the responses it is clear that although the majority agree that the code gives a clear meaning of conflicts of interest, still auditors feel that more awareness and education is needed on such a sensitive issue.