We have take a look at our audit procedures and testings over inventory existence in prior years. Based on our review, we can inform you the following related to inventory count procedures:
1) In line with PwC Audit Methodology, our stocktake procedures is basically dual testing (test of controls and test of details), meaning that we are partly relying on management's controls over inventory stocktake. In particular, related to reconciliation between actual stocktake results and inventory per book, management has provided us with the summary reconciliation (consist only for inventory items which different with book) instead of full reconciliation for all inventory items. This report was reviewed and approved by management (not Director level) evidenced by signature. We are aware that there may be control risk in which the controls fails to identify completeness of the items in the report.
2) We have took sufficient samples to trace count actual inventory tags to final inventory listing and vice versa to ensure existence and completeness. The samples taken are in line with PwC Audit Methodology. From our samples, we did not note any difference hence supporting our conclusion on inventory. However there is always sampling risk in which our samples may fail to capture the existence issue in overall population.
Going forward, we will take more robust and detail audit procedures execution for audit 2015, including obtaining full reconciliations, not only those with differences, and conservatively adding more samples in our testing.
As for the big difference between actual physical inventory and records plus difference in inventory cost in the inventory listing and records, we suggest the Company and shareholders to investigate further. There might be fraud cases in the root causes of the differences.