(a) Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements comprise the Company and its subsidiaries, and interest in associates and joint ventures.
(i) Subsidiaries and non-controlling interests
Subsidiaries are those entities controlled by the Group. The Group controls an entity when the Group is exposed to, or has rights to, variable returns from its involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the entity.
The financial statements of subsidiaries are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date that control effectively commences until the date that control effectively ceases.
Non-controlling interests at the balance sheet date, being the portion of the net assets of subsidiaries attributable to equity interests that are not owned by the Company, whether directly or indirectly through subsidiaries, are presented in the consolidated balance sheet and consolidated statement of changes in equity within equity, separately from equity attributable to the owners of the Company. Non-controlling interests in the results of the Group are presented on the face of the consolidated statement of income and the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as an allocation of the total profit or loss and total comprehensive income for the year between non-controlling interests and the owners of the Company.
Changes in the Group’s interests in a subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control are accounted for as equity transactions, whereby adjustments are made to the amounts of controlling and non-controlling interests within consolidated equity to reflect the change in relative interests, but no adjustments are made to goodwill and no gain or loss is recognized.
If a business combination involving entities not under common control is achieved in stages, the acquisition date carrying value of the acquirer’s previously held equity interest in the acquiree is remeasured to fair value at the acquisition date. Any gains or losses arising from such remeasurement are recognized in the consolidated statement of income.
When the Group loses control of a subsidiary, it is accounted for as a disposal of the entire interest in that subsidiary, with a resulting gain or loss being recognized in profit or loss. Any interest retained in that former subsidiary at the date when control is lost is recognized at fair value and this amount is regarded as the fair value on initial recognition of a financial asset (Note 2(k)) or, when appropriate, the cost on initial recognition of an investment in an associate or joint venture (Note 2(a)(ii)).
The particulars of the Group’s principal subsidiaries are set out in Note 35.
(ii) Associates and joint ventures
An associate is an entity, not being a subsidiary, in which the Group exercises significant influence over its management. Significant influence is the power to participate in the financial and operating policy decisions of the investee but is not control or joint control over those policies.
The investments in joint arrangements are classified as either joint operations or joint ventures depending on the contractual rights and obligations each investor has rather than the legal structure of the joint arrangement. A joint venture is a joint arrangement whereby the parties that have joint control of the arrangement have rights to the net assets of the arrangement.
Investments in associates and joint ventures are accounted for in the consolidated financial statements using the equity method from the date that significant influence or joint control commences until the date that significant influence or joint control ceases. Under the equity method, the investment is initially recorded at cost and adjusted thereafter for the post acquisition change in the Group’s share of the investee’s net assets and any impairment loss relating to the investment (Note 2(j) and (o)).
The Group’s share of the post-acquisition, post-tax results of the investees and any impairment losses for the year are recognized in the consolidated statement of income, whereas the Group’s share of the post-acquisition post-tax items of the investees’ other comprehensive income is recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income.
When the Group ceases to have significant influence over an associate or joint control over a joint venture, it is accounted for as a disposal of the entire interest in that investee, with a resulting gain or loss being recognized in profit or loss. Any interest retained in that former investee at the date when significant influence or joint control is lost is recognized at fair value and this amount is regarded as the fair value on initial recognition of a financial asset (see Note 2(k)) or, when appropriate, the cost on initial recognition of an investment in an associate (see Note 2(a) (ii)).
(iii) Transactions eliminated on consolidation
Inter-company balances and transactions and any unrealized gains arising from inter—company transactions are eliminated on consolidation. Unrealized gains arising from transactions with associates and joint ventures are eliminated to the extent of the Group’s interest in the entity. Unrealized losses are eliminated in the same way as unrealized gains, but only to the extent that there is no evidence of impairment.
(iv) Merger accounting for common control combination
The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the combining entities or businesses in which the common control combination occurs as if they had been combined from the date when the combining entities or businesses first came under the control of the controlling party. The net assets of the combining entities or businesses are combined using the existing book values from the controlling parties’ perspective. No amount is recognized as consideration for goodwill or excess of acquirers’ interest in the net fair value of acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities over cost at the time of common control combination, to the extent of the continuation of the controlling party’s interest.
The consolidated statement of income includes the results of each of the combining entities or businesses from the earliest date presented or since the date when the combining entities or businesses first came under the common control, where there is a shorter period, regardless of the date of the common control combination. The comparative amounts in the consolidated financial statements are presented as if the entities or businesses had been combined at the previous balance sheet date or when they first came under common control, whichever is shorter.
A uniform set of accounting policies is adopted by those entities. All intra—group transactions, balances and unrealized gains on transactions between combining entities or businesses are eliminated on consolidation. Transaction costs, including professional fees, registration fees, costs of furnishing information to shareholders, costs or losses incurred in combining operations of the previously separate businesses, etc., incurred in relation to the common control combination that is to be accounted for by using merger accounting is recognized as an expense in the period in which it is incurred.