Independent Accountant Xxxxxxxx LLP (the “Accountant”), which has expressed its opinions with respect to the audited financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) of the Company filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
Accountant A person engaged in the practice of accounting who (except when this Agreement provides that an Accountant must be Independent) may be employed by or affiliated with the Depositor or an Affiliate of the Depositor.
Auditor 28.2.1 The Department (in accordance with Post-16 audit code of practice - XXX.XX (xxx.xxx.xx)), the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors and/or a Crown Body may at any time conduct audits for the following purposes:-
(a) to establish that the Provider has used the Funding (and proposed or actual variations to the Funding in accordance with this Agreement) in the delivery of the Services and/or the costs of all suppliers (including Sub- Contractors) of the Services;
(b) to verify the Provider’s claims for Funding;
(c) to review the integrity, confidentiality and security of the Department Data as well as the Department’s access to the Department Data;
(d) to review the Provider's and/or a Provider Related Party's compliance with the DPA 2018, the FOIA in accordance with Clauses 19 (Department Data) and 23 (Freedom of Information and Confidentiality) and any other Law applicable to the Services;
(e) to carry out the audit and certification of the Department’s accounts;
(f) to verify the accuracy and completeness of any management information delivered or required by this Agreement;
(g) to ensure that the Provider and/or a Provider Related Party is complying with the Department Policies and any British or equivalent European standards and any other audit that may be required by any Relevant Authority, such audits may be based on current or preceding years or preceding Agreements.
28.2.2 The Department will use its reasonable endeavours to ensure that the conduct of each audit does not unreasonably disrupt the Provider or delay the provision of the Services.
28.2.3 Subject to the Department’s obligations of confidentiality, the Provider and/or a Provider Related Party must on demand provide the Department (and/or its agents or representatives) with all reasonable co-operation and assistance in relation to each audit, including:-
(a) all information requested by the Department within the permitted scope of the audit;
(b) reasonable access to any premises and any equipment used (whether exclusively or non-exclusively) in the performance of the Services;
(c) access to the Provider's and/or a Provider Related Party's systems; and
(d) access to Provider Personnel; and
(e) provision of any accounting records as referred to in Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and/or financial records as the Department may require which if the Provider is not a company may include similar accounting records as are referred to in Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
28.2.4 The Provider will implement all measurement and monitoring tools and procedures necessary to measure and report on the Provider's (including for the avoidance of doubt a Provider Related Party's) performance of the Services.
28.2.5 The Department will endeavour to (but is not obliged to) provide at least ten (10) Working Days' notice of its intention to conduct an audit. The Department may carry out audit visits with or without prior notice at its discretion.
28.2.6 The Parties agree that they will bear their own respective costs and expenses incurred in respect of compliance with their obligations under this clause, unless the audit identifies a material breach or malpractice by the Provider and/or a Provider Related Party in which case the Provider will reimburse the Department for all the Department’s reasonable costs incurred in the course of the audit.
28.2.7 If the findings of an audit conducted pursuant to this Clause 28 results in the requirement for ILR data to be corrected and re-submitted the Provider must re-submit the data to the Department, as set out in Clause 21 (Submission of Learner Data), within two months. Failure to do so will be a Minor Breach of this Agreement.
28.2.8 If the Department identifies that:-
(a) the Provider has failed to perform its obligations under this Agreement in any material manner, without prejudice to any other remedy that the Department has, the Parties will agree and implement a remedial plan. If the Provider's failure relates to a failure to provide any information to the Department about the Funding, proposed Funding or the Provider's costs, then the remedial plan will include a requirement for the provision of all such information;
(b) there has been any under or over payment it will be dealt with in accordance with Clause 26.1 (Funding and Payment).
28.2.9 The Provider must permit records referred to in this Clause 28 to be examined and copied from time to time by the Department’s auditor and inspectors and their representatives and other representatives of the Department.
Services as Fund Accountant BISYS will keep and maintain the following books and records of each Fund pursuant to Rule 31a-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Rule"):
a. Journals containing an itemized daily record in detail of all purchases and sales of securities, all receipts and disbursements of cash and all other debits and credits, as required by subsection (b)(1) of the Rule;
b. General and auxiliary ledgers reflecting all asset, liability, reserve, capital, income and expense accounts, including interest accrued and interest received, as required by subsection (b)(2)(i) of the Rule;
c. Separate ledger accounts required by subsection (b)(2)(ii) and (iii) of the Rule; and
d. A monthly trial balance of all ledger accounts (except shareholder accounts) as required by subsection (b)(8) of the Rule. All such books and records shall be the property of the Trust, and BISYS agrees to make such books and records available for inspection by the Trust or by the Securities and Exchange commission at reasonable times and otherwise to keep confidential all records and other information relative to the Trust; except when requested to divulge such information by duly-constituted authorities or court process, or when requested by the Trust. In addition to the maintenance of the books and records specified above, BISYS shall perform the following account services daily for each Fund:
a. Calculate the net asset value per Share utilizing prices obtained from the sources described below;
b. Obtain security prices from independent pricing services, or if such quotes are unavailable, then obtain such prices from each Fund's investment adviser or its designee, as approved by the Trust's Board of Trustees;
c. Verify and reconcile with the Funds' custodian all daily trade activity;
d. Compute, as appropriate, each Fund's net income and capital gains, dividend payables, dividend factors, 7-day yields, 7-day effective yields, 30-day yields, and weighted average portfolio maturity;
e. Review daily the net asset value calculation and dividend factor (if any) for each Fund prior to release to shareholders, check and confirm the net asset values and dividend factors for reasonableness and deviations, and distribute net asset values and yields to NASDAQ;
f. Calculate the dividend and capital gain distribution, if any;
g. Calculate the yield;
h. Provide the following reports:
(i) a current security position report;
(ii) a summary report of transactions and pending maturities (including the principal, cost, and accrued interest on each portfolio security in maturity date order); and
(iii) a current cash position report (including cash available from portfolio sales and maturities and sales of a Fund's Shares less cash needed for redemptions and settlement of portfolio purchases);
i. Such other similar services with respect to a Fund as may be reasonable requested by the Trust.
Determination by Accountant All mathematical determinations, and all determinations as to whether any of the Total Payments are "parachute payments" (within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code), that are required to be made under this Section, including determinations as to whether a Gross-Up Payment is required, the amount of such Gross-Up Payment, the reduction of the Total Payments to the Safe Harbor Cap, amounts relevant to the last sentence of this Section 6(b), and the assumptions to be utilized in arriving at such determinations, shall be made at Westport's expense by an independent nationally recognized accounting firm selected by Westport (the "Accounting Firm"). The Accounting Firm shall provide its determination (the "Determination"), together with detailed supporting calculations and documentation to Westport and the Employee by no later than ten (10) days following the Termination Date, if applicable, or such earlier time as is requested by Westport or the Employee (if the Employee reasonably believes that any of the Total Payments may be subject to the Excise Tax). If the Accounting Firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable by the Employee, it shall furnish the Employee and Westport with a written statement that such Accounting Firm has concluded that no Excise Tax is payable (including the reasons therefor) and that the Employee has substantial authority not to report any Excise Tax on his or her federal income tax return. If a Gross-Up Payment is determined to be payable, it shall be paid to the Employee within twenty (20) days after the Determination (and all accompanying calculations and other material supporting the Determination) is delivered to Westport by the Accounting Firm. Any determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon Westport and the Employee, absent manifest error. As a result of uncertainty in the application of Section 4999 of the Code at the time of the Determination by the Accounting Firm hereunder, it is possible that Gross-Up Payments not made by Westport should have been made ("Underpayment"), or that Gross-Up Payments will have been made by Westport which should not have been made ("Overpayments"). In either such event, the Accounting Firm shall determine the amount of the Underpayment or Overpayment that has occurred. In the case of an Underpayment, the amount of such Underpayment shall be promptly paid by Westport to or for the benefit of the Employee. In the case of an Overpayment, the Employee shall, at the direction and expense of Westport, take such steps as are reasonably necessary (including the filing of returns and claims for refund), follow reasonable instructions from, and procedures established by, Westport, and otherwise reasonably cooperate with Westport to correct such Overpayment, provided, however, that (i) the Employee shall not in any event be obligated to return to Westport an amount greater than the net after-tax portion of the Overpayment that he or she has retained or has recovered as a refund from the applicable taxing authorities and (ii) this provision shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the intent to make the Employee whole, on an after-tax basis, from the application of the Excise Tax, it being understood that the correction of an Overpayment may result in the Employee repaying to Westport an amount which is less than the Overpayment.
Fees of the Independent Accountant The fees and expenses of the Independent Accountant shall be paid by Seller, on the one hand, and by Buyer, on the other hand, based upon the percentage that the amount actually contested but not awarded to Seller or Buyer, respectively, bears to the aggregate amount actually contested by Seller and Buyer.
Independent Auditor If:
(a) the Provider is the Distributor and, acting reasonably, gives notice that the Records contain information about other industry participants that cannot reasonably be severed from the information relating to the Trader or that the information is commercially sensitive; or
(b) the provider is the Trader and, acting reasonably, gives notice that the Records contain information about other industry participants that cannot reasonably be severed from information relating to the Distributor or that the information is commercially sensitive, then the Distributor or the Trader, as appropriate, will permit an independent auditor (the “Auditor”) appointed by the other party to review the Records and the other party will not itself directly review any of the Records. The Distributor or the Trader, as appropriate, will not unreasonably object to the Auditor appointed by the other party. In the event that the Distributor or the Trader, as appropriate, reasonably objects to the identity of the Auditor, the parties will request the President of the New Zealand Law Society (or a nominee) to appoint a person to act as the Auditor. The party that is permitted by this clause 31.5 to appoint an Auditor will pay the Auditor’s costs, unless the Auditor discovers a material inaccuracy in the Records in which case the other party will pay the Auditor’s costs. The terms of appointment of the Auditor will require the Auditor to keep the Records confidential.
Independent Accountants The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.
Independent Auditors The Company shall, until at least the Termination Date, maintain as its independent auditors an accounting firm authorized to practice before the SEC.
Determination by Independent Accountant The Independent Accountant shall make a determination as soon as practicable within thirty (30) days (or such other time as the parties hereto shall agree in writing) after their engagement, and their resolution of the Disputed Amounts and their adjustments to the Closing Working Capital Statement and/or the Post-Closing Adjustment shall be conclusive and binding upon the parties hereto.
