I. Impairment
1. Non-derivative Financial assets
An impairment of a financial asset not carried at fair value through profit or loss, is examined when there is objective evidence that one or more events have occurred that may have had a negative impact on the estimate of the future cash flows from the asset that can be estimated reliably.
Objective evidence that financial assets have been impaired can include a contractual default by a debtor, restructuring of an amount due to the Group on terms that the Group would not otherwise consider, indications that a debtor or issuer will enter into bankruptcy, or the disappearance of an active market for a security.
When testing for impairment available-for-sale financial assets that are equity instruments, the Group also examines the difference between the fair value of the asset and its original cost while taking into consideration the standard deviation of the instrument’s price, the length of time the fair value of the asset is lower than its original cost and changes in the technological, economic or legal environment or in the market environment in which the issuer of the instrument operates. In addition, a significant or prolonged decline in its fair value below its cost is objective evidence of impairment.
The Group examines evidence of impairment for receivables and loans on a specific basis.
The loss from impairment in the value of a financial asset measured according to amortized cost is calculated as the difference between the book value of the asset and the present value of the estimated future cash flows, discounted using the original effective interest rate. Losses are recognized in profit or loss and reflected in a provision for loss against the balance of the financial asset measured at amortized cost.
Impairment losses on available-for-sale financial assets are recognized by transferring the cumulative loss that has been recognized in a capital reserve to profit or loss. The cumulative loss that is classified from other comprehensive income to profit or loss is the difference between the acquisition cost, net of any principal repayment and amortization, and the current fair value, less any impairment loss previously recognized in profit or loss. Changes in impairment provisions attributable to application of the effective interest method are reflected in the item of financing income.
An impairment loss is reversed if the reversal can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognized (such as repayment by the debtor). For financial assets measured at amortized cost and available-for-sale financial assets that are debt securities, the reversal is recognized in profit or loss. For available-for-sale financial assets that are equity securities, the reversal is recognized directly in other comprehensive income.
Note 3 - Significant Accounting Policies (cont’d)
I. Impairment (cont’d)
2. Non-financial assets
In every reporting period, an examination is made with respect to whether there are signs indicating impairment in value of the Group’s non-financial assets, other than inventories and deferred tax assets. If such signs exist, the estimated recoverable amount of the asset is calculated. The Group conducts an annual examination, on the same date, of the recoverable amount of goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives or those that are not available for use – or more frequently if there are indications of impairment.
For the purpose of impairment testing, assets that cannot be tested individually are grouped together into the smallest group of assets that generates cash inflows from continuing use that are largely independent of the cash inflows of other assets or groups of assets (the “cash-generating unit”).
The recoverable amount of an asset or a cash- generating unit is the higher of its value in use or the net selling price (fair value less cost of disposal). When determining the value in use the Group discounts the anticipated future cash flows according to a discount rate that reflects the evaluations of the market's participants regarding the time value of money and the specific risks relating to the asset or to the cash- generating unit, in respect of which the future cash flows expected to derive from the asset or the cash- generating unit were not adjusted. The goodwill is not monitored for internal reporting purposes and, accordingly, it is allocated to the Company’s operating segments and not to the cash- generating units, the level of which is lower than the operating segment.
Assets of the Company's headquarters and administrative facilities do not produce separate cash flows and they serve more than one cash-producing unit. Such assets are allocated to cash‑producing units on a reasonable and consistent basis and are examined for impairment as part of the examination of impairment of the cash‑producing units to which they are allocated.
Impairment losses are recognized if the carrying amount of an asset or cash-producing unit in the books exceeds its estimated recoverable amount, and are recognized in profit or loss. Regarding an operating segment that includes goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized when the value of the operating segment in the books exceeds its recoverable value. Impairment losses recognized in respect of an operating segment are allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of its goodwill and then to reduce the carrying amounts of the other assets of that segment on a proportionate basis.
An impairment loss is allocated between the owners of the Company and the non-controlling interests on the same basis that the profit or loss is allocated.
A loss from impairment in value of goodwill recognized in previous periods is not reversible prospectively. A loss from impairment of other assets recognized in previous periods is examined in future periods to assess whether there are signs indicating that these losses have decreased or no longer exist.
Note 3 - Significant Accounting Policies (cont’d)
I. Impairment (cont’d)
2. Non-financial assets (cont’d)
A loss from impairment of value is cancelled if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable value, only if the book value of the asset, after cancellation of the loss from impairment of value, does not exceed the book value, after deduction of depreciation or amortization, that would have been determined if the loss from impairment of value had not been recognized.
3. Investments in associates and joint ventures
An investment in an associate or joint ventures is tested for impairment when objective evidence indicates there has been impairment.
Goodwill that forms part of the carrying amount of an investment in an associate or joint ventures is not recognized separately, and therefore is not tested for impairment separately.
If objective evidence indicates that the value of the investment may have been impaired, the Group estimates the recoverable amount of the investment, which is the greater of its value in use and its net selling price. In assessing value in use of an investment in an associate or joint ventures, the Group either estimates its share of the present value of estimated future cash flows that are expected to be generated by the associate or joint ventures, including cash flows from operations of the associate or joint ventures and the consideration from the final disposal of the investment, or estimates the present value of the estimated future cash flows that are expected to be derived from dividends that will be received and from the final disposal.
An impairment loss is recognized when the carrying amount of the investment, after applying the equity method, exceeds its recoverable amount, and it is recognized in profit or loss under other expenses. An impairment loss is not allocated to any asset, including goodwill that forms part of the carrying amount of the investment in the associate or in the joint ventures.
An impairment loss is reversed only if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable amount of the investment after the impairment loss was recognized, and only to the extent that the investment’s carrying amount, after the reversal of the impairment loss, does not exceed the carrying amount of the investment that would have been determined by the equity method if no impairment loss had been recognized