National Consumer Credit Protection Act. Australia
desires for purposes relating to the audit report.
Requirement to give auditor access and assistance etc.
3) The licensee, or a director, secretary or senior manager of the licensee if it is a body corporate, must not:
a) refuse or fail to allow the auditor access, in accordance with subsection (1), to financial records or other credit books of the licensee; or
b) refuse or fail to give assistance, or an explanation, to the auditor as and when required under subsection (2); or
c) otherwise hinder, obstruct or delay the auditor in the performance or exercise of the auditor’s duties or powers.
Civil penalty: 2,000 penalty units.
Offence
4) A person commits an offence if:
a) the person is subject to a requirement under subsection (3); and
b) the person engages in conduct; and
c) the person’s conduct contravenes the requirement.
Criminal penalty: 100 penalty units, or 2 years imprisonment, or both.
103 Auditor’s fees and expenses
1) The reasonable fees and expenses of the auditor for preparing the audit report are payable by the licensee.
2) The auditor may recover those fees by action against the licensee.
104 Auditor to report on certain matters
Requirement for auditor to disclose maters
1) If the auditor, in the performance of duties relating to the audit report, becomes aware of a matter referred to in subsection (2), the auditor must, within 7 days after becoming aware of the matter:
a) lodge a written report on the matter with ASIC; and
b) give a copy of the report to the licensee.
Civil penalty: 2,000 penalty units.
Matters that must be disclosed
2) A report must be given in relation to any matter that, in the opinion of the auditor:
a) has adversely affected, is adversely affecting or may adversely affect the ability of the licensee to meet the licensee’s obligations as a licensee; or
b) constitutes or may constitute a contravention of:
i) Division 2 or 3 (or regulations made under those Divisions); or(ii) a condition of the licensee’s licence; or
c) constitutes an attempt to unduly influence, coerce, manipulate or mislead the auditor in the preparation of the audit report.
Offence
3) The auditor commits an offence if:
a) the auditor is subject to a requirement under subsection (1); and
b) the auditor engages in conduct; and
c) the auditor’s conduct contravenes the requirement.
Criminal penalty: 50 penalty units, or 1 year imprisonment, or both.
105 Qualified privilege for auditor etc.
Qualified privilege for auditor
1) The auditor has qualified privilege in relation to:
a) a statement that the auditor makes, orally or in writing, in the course of its duties relating to the audit report; or
b) the lodging of a report with ASIC under subsection 104(1); or
c) the giving of a report to the licensee under subsection 104(1).
Note: If the auditor is a company, the company has qualified privilege under this subsection in relation to statements made, and reports lodged or sent, by natural persons on behalf of the company if those statements and notices can be properly attributed to the company.
Qualified privilege for registered company auditor acting on behalf of company
2) If the auditor is a company registered under the Corporations Act 2001, a registered company auditor acting on behalf of the company has qualified privilege in relation to:
(a) a statement that the registered company auditor makes (orally or in writing) in the course of the performance, on behalf of the company, of the company’s duties relating to the audit report; or
(b) the lodging by the registered company auditor, on behalf of the company, of a report with ASIC under subsection 104(1); or
(c) the giving by the registered company auditor, on behalf of the company, of a report to the licensee under subsection 104(1).
Qualified privilege for subsequent publication
(3) A person has qualified privilege in relation to the publishing of a document prepared by the auditor in the course of the auditor’s duties relating to the audit report.
(4) A person has qualified privilege in relation to the publishing of a statement:
(a) made by the auditor as referred to in subsection (1); or
(b) made by a registered company auditor as referred to in subsection (2).
106 Regulations in relation to audit reports etc.
The regulations may make provision in relation to:
(a) the audit reports referred to in subsection 102(1); and
(b) audit reports that persons who have applied for a licence may be requested to lodge under subsection 37(4); and
(c) the auditors that prepare those reports; and
(d) auditing standards that must be complied with in relation to those reports.
Part 2–6—Exemptions and modifications relating to this Chapter
Division 1—Introduction
107 Guide to this Part
This Part is about exemptions from, and modifications of, the provisions of this Chapter.
Division 2 deals with how exemptions and modifications may be made by ASIC or by the regulations.
Division 2—Exemptions and modifications relating to this Chapter
108 Provisions to which this Part applies
The provisions to which this Part applies are:
(a) this Chapter; and
(b) definitions in this Act, as they apply to references in this Chapter; and
(c) instruments made for the purposes of this Chapter.
109 Exemptions and modifications by ASIC
Exemptions and modifications
1) ASIC may:
a) exempt:
i) a person; or
(ii) a person and all of the person’s credit representatives;
from all or specified provisions to which this Part applies; or
b) exempt a credit activity that is engaged in in relation to a specified credit contract, mortgage, guarantee or consumer lease from all or specified provisions to which this Part applies; or
c) declare that provisions to which this Part applies apply in relation to a person, or a credit activity referred to in paragraph (1)(b), as if specified provisions were omitted, modified or varied as specified in the declaration.
2) An exemption or declaration under subsection (1) is not a legislative instrument.