| g. | Investments in associates and joint ventures: |
An associate is an entity over which the Group has significant influence. Significant influence is the power to participate in the financial and operating policy decisions of the investee but is not control or joint control over those policies.
A joint venture is a joint arrangement whereby the parties that have joint control of the arrangement have rights to the net assets of the joint arrangement. Joint control is the contractually agreed sharing of control of an arrangement, which exists only when decisions about the relevant activities require unanimous consent of the parties sharing control.
The results and assets and liabilities of associates or joint ventures are incorporated in these audited consolidated financial statements using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, an investment in an associate or a joint venture is initially recognized in the consolidated statement of financial position at cost and adjusted thereafter to recognize the Group’s share of the profit or loss and other comprehensive income of the associate or joint venture. When the Group’s share of losses of an associate or a joint venture exceeds the Group’s interest in that associate or joint venture (which includes any long-term interests that, in substance, form part of the Group’s net investment in the associate or joint venture), the Group discontinues recognizing its share of further losses. Additional losses are recognized only to the extent that the Group has incurred legal or constructive obligations or made payments on behalf of the associate or joint venture.
An investment in an associate or a joint venture is accounted for using the equity method from the date on which the investee becomes an associate or a joint venture. On acquisition of the investment in an associate or a joint venture, any excess of the cost of the investment over the Group’s share of the net fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities of the investee is recognized as goodwill, which is included within the carrying amount of the investment.
In circumstances where the Group’s interest in an investee company is in the form of mixed securities (such as ordinary shares, preferred shares or other senior securities, or loans), the Group records equity losses in excess of the Group’s investment in the ordinary shares of the investee based on the priority liquidation mechanism, that is, allocating the loss to the other components in reverse order to their seniority in liquidation.
Where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial statements of associates to adjust their accounting policies with those of the Company.
The requirements of IAS 39 are applied to determine whether it is necessary to recognize any impairment loss with respect to the Group’s investment in an associate or a joint venture. When necessary, the entire carrying amount of the investment (including goodwill) is tested for impairment in accordance with IAS 36 Impairment of Assets as a single asset by comparing its recoverable amount (higher of value in use and fair value less costs to sell) with its carrying amount. Any impairment loss recognized forms part of the carrying amount of the investment. Any reversal of that impairment loss is recognized in accordance with IAS 36 to the extent that the recoverable amount of the investment subsequently increases.