System of control in the process of preparing financial statements

Financial statements are prepared in the Finance Division and central units operating based on the applicable regulations. The PZU Finance Division is supervised by a PZU Management Board Member.

The elements which facilitate completing the process are the accounting principles (policy), the chart of accounts with a commentary and other detailed internal regulations approved by the PZU Management Board specifying key rules for recording business events in PZU, the valuation of assets and liabilities and dedicated reporting systems.

Data are prepared in the source systems using formal operating and acceptance procedures which specify the powers of specific persons.

The reporting process is controlled by appropriately qualified, skilled and experienced staff.

PZU monitors changes in external regulations concerning, without limitation, the accounting policy and reporting requirements applicable to insurers and carries out appropriate adaptation processes in these areas.

The accounting records are closed and financial statements are prepared in accordance with schedules, including the key activities and control points with assigned liability for timely and correct completion.

The key controls during preparation of the financial statements include:

• controls and permanent monitoring of the quality of input data, supported by financial systems with defined rules of data correctness, in accordance with PZU’s internal regulations governing the control of accuracy of accounting data;
• data mapping from the source systems to financial statements supporting the proper presentation of data;
• analytical review of financial statements by specialists to compare them with the business knowledge and business transactions;
• formal review of the financial statements to confirm compliance with the applicable legal regulations and market practice in terms of required disclosures.

PZU internal audit periodically reviews the organization and the process of preparing the financial statements.

Activities within the consolidated financial reporting processes are coordinated through the organizational structure of the Finance Division in the PZU and PZU Życie Head Offices which is shared, i.e. organized based on a personal union. PZU controls all its consolidated subsidiaries through these companies’ management boards and supervisory boards.

The process of consolidated financial reporting is governed by a number of internal regulations. They govern the principles of accounting policy adopted by the PZU Group and accounting standards. Moreover, they are subject to detailed schedules including the key activities and control points with assigned liability for timely and correct completion.

Consolidation packages forwarded by subsidiaries are subjected to:

• verification procedures by a statutory auditor scrutinizing the PZU Group’s consolidated financial statements;
• analytical reviews by specialists and, in the case of consolidation packages forwarded by banks, also reconciliation with their published stock exchange disclosures.

Audit Committee

The PZU Supervisory Board appoints the audit committee composed of at least three Supervisory Board Members. The majority of audit committee members, including the Chairperson, satisfy the independence criteria defined in the Statutory Auditor Act and at least one member has knowledge and skills in accounting or audit of financial statements in accordance with the requirements provided for in the Statutory Auditor Act, which is the key legal act applicable to the operation of the audit committee. Moreover, PZU analyzes Best practices for public interest entities pertaining to the appointment, composition and operation of the audit committee as published by the Office of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority on 24 December 2019.

The audit committee members have knowledge and skills pertaining to the insurance industry, which is construed as at least one audit committee member having knowledge and skills in the field of insurance or various audit committee members having knowledge of specific branches within this field.

The audit committee is an advisory and consultative body to the Supervisory Board and is appointed to improve the effectiveness of the Supervisory Board’s oversight activities in respect of the correctness of financial reporting, the effectiveness of internal control system, including internal audit, and the risk management system.

A statutory auditor appointed by the PZU Supervisory Board, based on a recommendation of the audit committee, reviews interim standalone and consolidated financial statements, audits annual standalone and consolidated financial statements and audits annual solvency and financial standing reports required by the Solvency II Directive (for PZU and the PZU Group).