Monday, May 14, 2007
FASB Will "Guard" Its Autonomy
FASB's chairman admits to concern about "control" issues with the SEC, but pledges to guard FASB's independence.
In the wake of reports suggesting that the Securities and Exchange Commission is trying to exert more control over accounting standards, Robert Herz, chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, conceded Thursday that recent events had created concerns on the board, but reaffirmed FASB's independence.
Maintaining independence is a "difficult issue, a difficult balance," said Herz, speaking at an industry conference sponsored by Pace University's Lubin's School of Business and held in New York. "We get our authority through the [Securities and Exchange Commission] and now we take public money," explained Herz. "With that comes accountability and oversight, but there has to be respect for independence," he said.
See full Article.