At the General Meeting 2014, KPMG, Lucerne, was elected as the new auditors for one financial year. Since then, they have been re-elected annually. According to the Articles of Association, their term ends with the approval of the financial statements for the relevant financial year. The Auditor in Charge, François Rouiller, has been in office since the General Meeting 2021. According to the provisions of the Swiss Code of Obligations, he may execute this mandate for a maximum of seven years.
For the year under review, the agreed audit fees for the performance of their mandate as statutory auditors (including the audit of the consolidated financial statements) amounted to a total of KCHF 1,475.
During the year under review, KPMG charged a total of KCHF 216 for additional services beyond the scope of their statutory mandate. These fees included KCHF 165 for tax advice and KCHF 51 for other consulting and audit-related services.
The supervision and monitoring of the auditors is exercised by the full Board of Directors. The Board of Directors’ Audit Committee assesses the performance, invoicing and independence of the external auditors and provides the Board of Directors with corresponding recommendations. It also annually reviews the scope of the audit, the audit plans and the relevant procedures, and discusses the audit reports with the Auditor in Charge. Details of the term of the Auditor in Charge can be found in section 8.1. The report on the final audit of the annual accounts is also sent to all members of the Board of Directors for the final approval of the Annual Report. The Auditor in Charge attended three meetings of the Audit Committee in the year under review. Details on Internal Audit are provided in section 3.7 Information and control instruments vis-a-vis Group Management.