QUESTION 5

You are the audit junior on the audit of Dutton Ltd, a large manufacturer of steel and building materials. Your senior auditor has requested you to assess the control of Dutton Ltd.s purchasing and payments system.

(i) When the stores department requires items to be purchased, they issue a three-part pre-numbered purchase requisition that needs to be approved by the stores manager. Copy 1 is sent to the purchasing department, Copy 2 is sent to the accounts payable department, and Copy 3 is filed in the stores department.

(ii) On receipt of an approved purchase requisition, the purchasing department issues a five-part pre-numbered purchase order. Copy 1 is sent to the supplier, Copies 2 and 3 are forwarded to the receiving department, Copy 4 is forwarded to the accounts payable department, and Copy 5 is filed in the purchasing department.

(iii) When goods are received, the receiving department logs in the shipment by stamping order received on its two copies of the purchase order, which then forms its receiving record. One copy of the receiving record is filed in the receiving department and the other is forwarded to the accounts payable department.

(iv) The accounts payable department checks that there is a purchase requisition, purchase order, and receiving record for each supplier invoice and then approves it for payment.

(v) The accounts payable department prepares a pre-numbered disbursement voucher and forwards it along with the suppliers invoice, purchase requisition, purchase order, and receiving record to the financial accountant.

(vi) The financial accountant prepares a cheque for each supplier, signs the cheque, and records it in the cash disbursements journal. The cheque is immediately mailed to the supplier. Supporting documentation is returned to accounts payable for filing.

(vii) At the end of the month, the assistant accountant undertakes a sequence check of all accountable forms. The financial accountant receives the monthly bank statement, prepares a bank reconciliation, and investigates any reconciling items.

Required:

(i) Identify six (6) internal control weaknesses in Dutton Ltd.s internal control concerning the purchases and payments functions. (ii) Outline the risk that results from each weakness and (iii) suggest a way of improving the controls to overcome the weakness.

INTERNAL CONTROL WEAKNESS & RESULTING RISK (2 marks)	A SUGGESTED INTERNAL CONTROL IMPROVEMENT (2 marks)