SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (a) Financial reporting framework

The Fund has adopted a financial reporting framework incorporating the requirements of the Fund Rules and applicable requirements of Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards (HKFRSs), which is a collective term that includes all applicable individual HKFRSs, Hong Kong Accounting Standards and Interpretations issued by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA). A summary of the significant accounting policies adopted by the Fund is set out below.

The HKICPA has issued certain new or revised HKFRSs that are first effective or available for early adoption for the current accounting period of the Fund. Note 2(c) provides information on the changes, if any, in accounting policies resulting from initial application of these developments to the extent that they are relevant to the Fund for the current and prior accounting periods reflected in these financial statements.

(b) Basis of preparation of the financial statements

The measurement basis used in the preparation of the financial statements is historical cost except that equity and debt securities managed by the Fund’s external investment managers (note 18(a)) and derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value as explained in the accounting policies set out in note 2(d).

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with the financial reporting framework (note 2(a)) requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of policies and the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, income and expenditure. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgements about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

There are no critical accounting judgements involved in the application of the Fund’s accounting policies. There are also no key assumptions concerning the future, and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date, that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the next year.

(c) Changes in accounting policies

The HKICPA has issued certain new or revised HKFRSs that are first effective for the current accounting period of the Fund. There have been no changes to the accounting policies applied in these financial statements for the years presented as a result of these developments.

The Fund has not applied any new standard or interpretation that is not yet effective for the current accounting period (note 20).

(d) Financial assets and financial liabilities (i) Initial recognition and measurement

The Fund recognises financial assets and financial liabilities on the date it becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Regular way purchases and sales of financial instruments are recognised on trade date, the date on which the Fund commits to purchase or sell the instruments.

At initial recognition, financial assets and financial liabilities are measured at fair value plus or minus, in the case of a financial asset or financial liability not subsequently measured at fair value, transaction costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition of the financial assets or the issue of the financial liabilities. Transaction costs of financial instruments subsequently measured at fair value are expensed immediately at initial recognition.

(ii) Basis of recognition of gains or losses

The Fund has adopted the requirements of Fund Rule 11 to recognise revaluation gains or losses arising from changes in fair value and realised gains or losses on derecognition of financial instruments in the reserve fund (see note 2(d)(iii) and (v)). This is different from the accounting treatment required under HKFRS 9 where such gains or losses are recognised in the income and expenditure account.

(iii) Classification and subsequent measurement Financial instruments measured at fair value

These comprise equity and debt securities managed by the Fund’s external investment managers (note 18(a)), and derivative financial instruments. They are subsequently measured at fair value. In accordance with Fund Rules 11(1)(a)(iv) and 11(1)(b)(iii), changes in the fair value are recognised as revaluation gains or losses in the reserve fund in the period in which they arise.

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Derivative financial instruments used by the Fund to manage its risks associated with foreign currency fluctuations do not qualify for hedge accounting. They are presented as assets when the fair value is positive and as liabilities when the fair value is negative.

Financial assets measured at amortised cost

These comprise cash at banks, deposits with banks and other financial institutions, and receivables and other assets. They are held for the collection of contractual cash flows which represent solely payments of principal and interest. They are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. The measurement of loss allowances for these financial assets is based on the expected credit loss model as described in note 2(d)(vii).

The effective interest method is a method of calculating the amortised cost of a financial asset or a financial liability and of allocating and recognising the interest income or interest expense over the relevant period. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts or payments through the expected life of the financial asset or financial liability to the gross carrying amount of the financial asset or to the amortised cost of the financial liability. When calculating the effective interest rate, the Fund estimates cash flows by considering all contractual terms of the financial instrument but does not consider the expected credit losses. The calculation includes all fees received or paid between parties to the contract that are an integral part of the effective interest rate, transaction costs and all other premiums or discounts.

Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost

These comprise payables and other liabilities. They are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

The Fund reclassifies a financial asset when and only when it changes its business model for managing the assets. A financial liability is not reclassified.

(iv) Fair value measurement principles

The Fund measures equity and debt securities managed by the Fund’s external investment managers (note 18(a)) and derivative financial instruments at fair value at each reporting date. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value measurement is based on the presumption that the transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability takes place either (a) in the principal market for the asset or liability, or (b) in the absence of a principal market, in the most advantageous market for the asset or liability; and the Fund has access to these markets at the measurement date.

The fair value of an asset or a liability is measured with those assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, assuming that market participants act in their best economic interest.

The Fund uses valuation techniques that are appropriate in the circumstances and for which sufficient data are available to measure fair value, maximising the use of relevant observable inputs and minimising the use of unobservable inputs.

The Fund measures fair values using the following fair value hierarchy that reflects the significance of inputs used in making the measurements:

Level 1 – fair values are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level 2 – fair values are determined with inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices); and Level 3 – fair values of financial instruments are determined with inputs that

are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).

For assets and liabilities that are recognised in the financial statements on a recurring basis, the Fund determines whether transfers between levels in the hierarchy should be reflected in the financial statements by re-assessing categorisation (based on the level of input that is most significant and relevant to the fair value measurement as a whole) at the reporting date.

(v) Derecognition

A financial asset is derecognised when the contractual rights to receive the cash flows from the financial asset expire, or where the financial asset together with substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred.

A financial liability is derecognised when the obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled or when it expires.

Realised gains and losses are recognised in the reserve fund on derecognition in accordance with Fund Rules 11(1)(a)(i) and 11(1)(b)(i).

(vi) Offsetting

Financial assets and financial liabilities are offset and the net amount is reported in the balance sheet where there is a legally enforceable right to offset the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis, or realise the assets and settle the liabilities simultaneously.

- 33 - (vii) Impairment of financial assets

For financial assets measured at amortised cost, the Fund measures the expected credit losses to determine the loss allowance required to be recognised.

Financial assets measured at fair value are not subject to the expected credit loss assessment.

Expected credit losses are a probability-weighted estimate of credit losses.

They are based on the difference between the contractual cash flows due in accordance with the contract and the cash flows that the Fund expects to receive, discounted at the effective interest rate. They are measured on either of the following bases:

- 12-month expected credit losses (for financial instruments for which there has not been a significant increase in credit risk since initial recognition):

these are losses that are expected to result from possible default events within the 12 months after the reporting date; and

- lifetime expected credit losses (for financial instruments for which there has been a significant increase in credit risk since initial recognition): these are losses that are expected to result from all possible default events over the expected life of the financial instruments.

In assessing whether the credit risk of a financial instrument has increased significantly since initial recognition, the Fund compares the risk of default occurring on the financial instrument assessed at the reporting date with that assessed at the date of initial recognition. In making this assessment, the Fund considers that a default event occurs when (i) the borrower is unlikely to pay its credit obligations to the Fund in full; or (ii) the financial asset is 90 days past due. The Fund considers both quantitative and qualitative information that is reasonable and supportable, including historical experience and forward-looking information that is available without undue cost or effort. A financial asset is written off when there is no reasonable expectation of recovering the contractual cash flows.

(e) Cash and cash equivalents

For the purpose of the statement of cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash at banks, deposits with banks and other financial institutions and short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value, having been within three months of maturity when placed or acquired.

(f) Contributions and donations

Contributions are received from contributors and donations are received from the Government and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools. Contributions and donations are recognised on an accrual basis.

(g) Revenue recognition

(i) Interest income

Interest income is recognised in the income and expenditure account on an accrual basis, using the effective interest method.

(ii) Dividend income

Dividend income from equity securities is recognised in the income and expenditure account when the share price is quoted ex-dividend.

(h) Foreign currency translation

Foreign currency transactions during the year are translated into Hong Kong dollars using the spot exchange rates at the transaction dates. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into Hong Kong dollars at the closing exchange rates at the reporting date. In accordance with Fund Rules 11(1)(a)(iv) and 11(1)(b)(iii), all foreign currency translation differences are recognised as revaluation gains or losses in the reserve fund in the period in which they arise.