| (h) | Impairment of financial assets |
A financial asset not carried at fair value through profit or loss is assessed at each reporting date to determine whether there is objective evidence that it is impaired. A financial asset is impaired if objective evidence indicates that a loss event has occurred after the initial recognition of the asset, and that the loss event had a negative effect on the estimated future cash flows of that asset that can be estimated reliably. However, losses expected as a result of future events, regardless of likelihood, are not recognized.
In addition, for an investment in an equity security, a significant or prolonged decline in its fair value below its cost is objective evidence of impairment.
If financial assets have objective evidence that they are impaired, impairment losses should be measured and recognized.
Objective evidence that a financial asset or group of assets is impaired includes observable data that comes to the attention of the holder of the asset about the following loss events:
| • | significant financial difficulty of the issuer or obligor |
| • | a breach of contract, such as a default or delinquency in interest or principal payments; |
| • | the lender, 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 becoming probable that the borrower will enter bankruptcy or other financial reorganization |
| • | the disappearance of an active market for that financial asset because of financial difficulties |
| • | observable data indicating that there is a measurable decrease in the estimated future cash flows from a group of financial assets since the initial recognition of those assets, although the decrease cannot yet be identified with the individual financial assets in the group. |
i) Loans and receivables
The Group first assesses whether objective evidence of impairment exists individually for loans and receivables that are individually significant, and individually or collectively for financial assets that are not individually significant. If the Group determines that no objective evidence of impairment exists for an individually assessed financial asset, whether significant or not, it includes the asset in a group of financial assets with similar credit risk characteristics and collectively assesses them for impairment. Assets that are individually assessed for impairment and for which an impairment loss is or continues to be recognized are not included in a collective assessment of impairment.
If there is objective evidence that an impairment loss on loans and receivables has been incurred, 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 (i.e., the effective interest rate computed at initial recognition).
If the interest rate of a loan or receivable is a floating rate, the discount rate used to evaluate impairment loss is the current effective interest rate defined in the loan agreement. The present value of estimated future cash flows of secured financial assets is calculated by including cash flows from collateral after deducting costs to acquire and sell the collateral.
In assessing collective impairment, the Group rates and classifies financial assets, based on credit risk assessment or credit rating assessment process that takes into account asset type, industry, regional location, collateral type, delinquency and other relative factors.
Future cash flow of financial assets applicable to collective impairment assessment is estimated by using statistical modeling of historical trends of the probability of default, timing of recoveries and the amount of loss incurred, adjusted for management’s judgment as to whether current economic and credit conditions are such that the impairment losses are likely to be greater or less than suggested by historical modeling. In adjusting the future cash flow by historical modeling, the result has to be in line with changes and trends of observable data. Methodologies and assumptions used to estimate future cash flow are evaluated on a regular basis in order to reduce any discrepancy between impairment loss estimation and actual loss.
Impairment losses are recognized in profit or loss and reflected in an allowance account against loans and receivables. When a subsequent event causes the amount of impairment loss to decrease, and the decrease can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment was recognized, the decrease in impairment loss is reversed through profit or loss of the year.
ii) Available-for-sale financial assets
When a decline in the fair value of an available-for-sale financial asset has been recognized in other comprehensive income and there is objective evidence that the asset is impaired, the cumulative loss that had been recognized in other comprehensive income is reclassified from equity to profit or loss as a reclassification adjustment even though the financial asset has not been derecognized. Impairment losses recognized in profit or loss for an investment in an equity instrument classified as available-for-sale are not reversed through profit or loss. If, in a subsequent period, the fair value of a debt instrument classified as available-for-sale increases and the increase can be objectively related to an event occurring after the impairment loss is recognized in profit or loss, the impairment loss is reversed, with the amount of the reversal recognized in profit or loss.
iii) Held-to-maturity financial assets
An impairment loss in respect of held-to-maturity financial assets measured at amortized cost is calculated as the difference between its carrying amount and the present value of the estimated future cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate and is recognized in profit or loss. Interest on the impaired asset continues to be recognized through the unwinding of the discount. When a subsequent event causes the amount of impairment loss to decrease, the decrease in impairment loss is reversed through profit or loss.