External auditors
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Responsible auditing
Audit fees
The costs for the financial, supervisory and special statutory audits of the companies of VP Bank Group amounted to CHF 2,225,151 for the 2024 financial year (2023: CHF 1,544,703).
Additional fees
In the 2024 financial year, PricewaterhouseCoopers billed CHF 279,846 (2023: CHF 490,477) for additional services rendered.
In assigning additional tasks to the auditors, the bank ensures that these services are commensurate with their activities as external auditors and lead to no conflicts of interest.
Audit-related control and supervision mechanisms
The Audit Committee reviews the multi-year audit planning as well as the planned annual auditing activities and, in a specific agenda item, discusses these with the Auditor-in-Charge from the external auditing firm as well as the Head of Group Internal Audit. The Audit Committee attaches particular importance to a risk-oriented approach in the planning and conduct of the audit, as well as appropriate coordination of the auditing activities of the external auditors with those of Internal Audit.
All reports by the external auditors are reviewed at the meetings of the Audit Committee. In 2024, the external auditors were present at all meetings of the Audit Committee in which external audit-related items were on the agenda. In addition, the Auditor-in-Charge was in attendance at the Board of Directors’ meeting to present and deal with the auditors’ report prescribed under the Banking Act.
Each year, the Audit Committee examines and evaluates the effectiveness and independence of the external auditors. In doing so, it relies on documents generated by the external auditors, such as the auditors’ report prescribed under the Banking Act, management letters, as well as oral and written statements of position on individual issues and technical questions in connection with financial-statement reporting and the audit. Furthermore, a systematic annual assessment is made with reference to checklists and professional fee comparisons within the auditing industry. Based on this evaluation, a motion is submitted to the Board of Directors for the attention of the annual general meeting as regards the election of the external auditors and the Group Auditor.