Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement.
The Companys management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Managements Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Companys internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
Article 11 The Audit and Risk Management Committee should formulate policies on the audit and non-audit services provided by the external audit institution. The Audit and Risk Management Committee shall discuss with the external audit institution the audit plan and the relevant report accountability before the audit commences; to discuss and communicate with the external audit institution the scope of audit, the auditing method and such major items being found during the course of conducting the audit. If the work will be undertaken by more than one audit institution, the Audit and Risk Management Committee shall ensure that various institutions coordinate the work among themselves.
3.The Audit Committee shall discuss with the independent auditors the overall scope, plans and budget for the audit, including the adequacy of staffing and other factors that may affect the effectiveness of the audit. In this connection, the Audit Committee shall discuss with financial management, the internal auditors (if any) and the independent auditors the Company’s major risk exposures (whether financial, operating or otherwise), the adequacy and effectiveness of the accounting and financial controls, and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures and manage legal compliance programs, among other considerations that may be relevant to the audit. The Audit Committee shall review with financial management and the independent auditors management’s annual internal control report.