Audit Committee Charter
MUKUBA RESOURCES LIMITED
(the "Corporation")
1. Name
There shall be a committee of the board of directors (the "Board") of the Corporation known as the Audit Committee (the "Committee").
2. Purpose
The Committee has been established to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities and fiduciary obligations. The primary functions and areas of responsibility of the Committee are to:
(a) review, report and provide recommendations to the Board on the annual and interim consolidated financial statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A");
(b) identify and monitor the management of the principal risks that could impact the financial reporting of the Corporation;
(c) make recommendations to the Board regarding the appointment, terms of engagement and compensation of the external auditor;
(d) monitor the integrity of the Corporation's financial reporting process and system of internal controls regarding financial reporting and accounting compliance;
(e) oversee the work of the external auditors engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an auditor's report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Corporation;
(f) resolve disagreements between management and the external auditor regarding financial reporting;
(g) receive the report of the external auditors, who must report directly to the Committee; and
(h) provide an avenue of communication among the Corporation's external auditors, management, and the Board.
3. Composition and Qualifications
All Committee members shall meet all applicable requirements prescribed under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), as well as any requirements or guidelines prescribed from time to time under applicable securities legislation, including National Instrument 52-110 as amended, restated or superseded. The Committee shall be comprised of not less than three directors as determined from time to time by the Board. Each member shall be an independent director who is free from any direct or indirect relationship that would, in the view of the Board, reasonably interfere with the exercise of the member's independent judgment. While it is not necessary for members to have a comprehensive knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and standards, all members of the Committee shall be "financially literate" so as to be able to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the issues raised by the Corporation's financial statements. A director who is not financially literate may be appointed to the Committee by the Board provided that such director becomes financially literate within a reasonable period following his or her appointment, and provided that the Board has determined that such appointment will not materially adversely affect the ability of the Committee to act independently.
Committee members shall be appointed by the Board. The Board shall designate the Chair of the Committee. If a Chair is not designated or present at any meeting, the members of the Committee may designate a Chair by majority vote. The Chair shall have responsibility for ensuring that the Committee fulfills its mandate and duties effectively.
Each member of the Committee shall continue to be a member until a successor is appointed, unless the member resigns, is removed or ceases to be a director. The Board may fill a vacancy at any time.
4. Meetings
The Committee shall meet at least four times annually, or more frequently as circumstances dictate, and at least once in each fiscal quarter. A notification for each of the meetings shall be disseminated to Committee members two days prior to each meeting. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for meetings.
An agenda shall be prepared by the Chair of the Committee as far in advance of each meeting as reasonably practicable. Minutes of all meetings of the Committee shall be prepared as soon as possible following the meeting and submitted for approval at or prior to the next following meeting.
The Committee should meet privately at least once per year with management of the Corporation, the Corporation's external auditors, and as a committee to discuss any matters that the Committee or any of these groups believe should be discussed.
5. Specific Responsibilities and Duties
Specific responsibilities and duties of the Committee shall include, without limitation, the following:
General Review Procedures
1. Review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter at least annually and submit any proposed amendments to the Board for approval.
2. Review the Corporation's annual audited financial statements, related MD&A, and other documents prior to filing or distribution of such documents or issuing a press release in respect of the financial statements and MD&A. Review should include discussion with management and external auditors of significant issues regarding accounting principles, practices, and significant management estimates and judgments.
3. Annually, in consultation with management and external auditors, consider the integrity of the Corporation's financial reporting processes and controls. Discuss significant financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor, control and report such exposures. Review significant findings prepared by the external auditors and the internal auditing department together with management's responses.
4. Review the effectiveness of the overall process for identifying the principal risks affecting financial reporting and provide the Committee's views to the Board of Directors.
5. Review with financial management and the external auditors the Corporation's quarterly financial results, related MD&A and other documents prior to the filing or distribution of such documents or issuing a press release in respect of the financial statements and MD&A. Discuss any significant changes to the Corporation's accounting principles. The Chair of the Committee may represent the entire Committee for purposes of this review.
External Auditors
6. The external auditors are ultimately accountable to the Committee, as representatives of the shareholders. The external auditors must report directly to the Committee, who shall review the independence and performance of the auditors and annually recommend to the Board the appointment of the external auditors or approve any discharge of auditors when circumstances warrant. The Committee shall approve the compensation of the external auditors.
7. The Committee must approve all non-audit and non-tax services to be provided to the Corporation or its subsidiary entities.
8. On an annual basis, the Committee should review and discuss with the external auditors all significant relationships they have with the Corporation that could impair the auditors' independence.
9. Review the external auditors' audit plan and discuss and approve the audit scope, staffing, locations, reliance upon management, and general audit approach.
10. Prior to releasing the year-end earnings, discuss the results of the audit with the external auditors. Discuss any matters that are required to be communicated to audit committees in accordance with the standards established by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
11. Consider the external auditors' judgments about the quality and appropriateness of the Corporation's accounting principles as applied in the Corporation's financial reporting.
Legal Compliance
12. On at least an annual basis, review with the Corporation's counsel any legal matters that could have a significant impact on the organization's financial statements, the Corporation's compliance with applicable laws and regulations and inquiries received from regulators or governmental agencies.
Other Miscellaneous Responsibilities
13. Annually assess the effectiveness of the Committee against its mandate and report the results of the assessment to the Board.
14. Prepare and disclose a summary of the mandate to shareholders.
15. Perform any other activities consistent with this mandate, the Corporation's by-laws and governing law, as the Committee or the Board deems necessary or appropriate.
6. Authority
The Committee shall have the authority to:
1. delegate approval-granting authority to pre-approve non-audit services by the external auditor to one or more of its members;
2. engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties;
3. set and pay the compensation for any advisors employed by the Committee; and
4. communicate directly with the external auditors.
7. Reporting
The Committee shall report its deliberations and discussions regularly to the Board and shall submit to the Board the minutes of its meetings.
8. Resources
The Committee shall have full and unrestricted access to all of the Corporation's books, records, facilities and personnel as well as the Corporation's external auditors and shall have the authority, in its sole discretion, to conduct any investigation appropriate to fulfilling its responsibilities. The Committee shall further have the authority to retain, at the Corporation's expense, such special legal, accounting or other consultants or experts as it deems necessary in the performance of its duties and to request any officer or employee of the Corporation or the Corporation's external counsel or auditors to attend a meeting of the Committee.
9. Limitation on the Oversight Role of the Committee
Nothing in this Charter is intended, or may be construed, to impose on any member of the Committee a standard of care or diligence that is in any way more onerous or extensive than the standard to which all members of the Board are subject.
Each member of the Committee shall be entitled, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to rely on the integrity of those persons and organizations within and outside the Corporation from whom he or she receives information, and the accuracy of the information provided to the Corporation by such persons or organizations.
While the Committee has the responsibilities and powers set forth in this Charter, it is not the duty of the Committee to plan or conduct audits or to determine that the Corporation's financial statements and disclosures are complete and accurate and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and applicable rules and regulations, each of which is the responsibility of management and the Corporation's external auditors.
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