(a) Assets carried at amortised cost
The Group assesses at the end of each reporting period whether there is objective evidence that a financial asset or group of financial assets is impaired. A financial asset or a group of financial assets is impaired and impairment losses are incurred only if there is objective evidence of impairment as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the asset (a "loss event") and that loss event (or events) has an impact on the estimated future cash flows of the financial asset or group of financial assets that can be reliably estimated.
The criteria that the Group uses to determine that there is objective evidence of an impairment loss: include:
· Significant financial difficulty of the issuer or obligor;
· A breach of contract, such as a default or delinquency in interest or principal payments;
· The Group, for economic or legal reasons relating to the borrower’s financial difficulty, granting to the borrower a concession that the lender would not otherwise consider;
· It becomes probable that the borrower will enter bankruptcy or other financial reorganisation;
· The disappearance of an active market for that financial asset because of financial difficulties; or
· Observable data indicating that there is a measurable decrease in the estimated future cash flows from a portfolio of financial assets since the initial recognition of those assets, although the decrease cannot yet be identified with the individual financial assets in the portfolio, including:
(i) adverse changes in the payment status of borrowers in the portfolio;
(ii) national or local economic conditions that correlate with defaults on the assets in the portfolio.
2 PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
(a) Assets carried at amortised cost (continued)
For loans and receivables category, the amount of the loss is measured as the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and the present value of estimated future cash flows (excluding future credit losses that have not been incurred) discounted at the financial asset’s original effective interest rate. The carrying amount of the asset is reduced and the amount of the loss is recognised in profit or loss. If a loan has a variable interest rate, the discount rate for measuring any impairment loss is the current effective interest rate determined under the contract. As a practical expedient, the Group may measure impairment on the basis of an instrument’s fair value using an observable market price.
If, in a subsequent period, the amount of the impairment loss decreases and the decrease can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment was recognised (such as an improvement in the debtor’s credit rating), the reversal of the previously recognised impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.
(b) Assets classified as available for sale
The Group assesses at the end of each reporting period whether there is objective evidence that a financial asset or a group of financial assets is impaired.
For equity investments, a significant or prolonged decline in the fair value of the security below its cost is also an evidence that the assets are impaired. If any such evidence exists, the cumulative loss, which is measured as the difference between the acquisition cost and the current fair value, less any impairment loss on that financial asset previously recognised in profit or loss, is removed from equity and recognised in profit or loss. Impairment losses recognised in profit or loss on equity instruments are not reversed through profit or loss.