CAG Empanelment of CA Firms/ LLPs for PSU Audits of FY 2023-24

CAG Empanelment of CA Firms/LLPs for PSU Audits in FY 2023-24 was open for submission of ‘online applications’ from January 6, 2023 to February 15, 2023. Applicants were required to generate the ‘online acknowledgement letter’ after submitting the online application for empanelment on time. A printout of such a letter, along with other supporting documents, was required to be submitted to the CAG Office by 28/02/2023, according to the instructions on the CAG website.

It is important to keep in mind that the CAG panel is compiled on an annual basis in order to determine which CA firms/LLPs are eligible/qualified for designation and appointment as statutory auditors of government companies and public sector undertakings (PSUs), including autonomous bodies, in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act of 2013.

CAG Empanelment of CA Firms/LLPs for FY 2024-25 (28/12/2023)

CAG Empanelment Notification: FY 2023-24

CAG Office has invited online applications for empanelment of CA Firms/ LLPs, desirous of being appointed as auditors of PSU Companies for the FY 2023-24, as per Sections 139(5) and 139(7) of the Companies Act 2013 and Statutory Corporations/Autonomous Bodies as per their respective Governing Acts. For further details please refer the CAG Notification dt. 05/01/2023 in this regard.

CAG Notification dt. 05/01/2023: Empanelment of CA Firms/ LLPs (FY 2023-24)

Draft/Provisional CAG Empanelment 2023-24 Status

The draft/provisional CAG Empanelment status of the firm, along with its provisional point score for 2023-24, will be accessible on the website http://www.care.cag.gov.in from May 30, 2023, to June 8, 2023. If there are any clerical mistakes in the data submitted by the firm in the online application, representations for rectification can be emailed to sao2ca5@cag.gov.in by June 8, 2023. The representations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, as per their merit. It is important to note that no requests for fresh data entry will be entertained.

The final empanelment status and/or point score may differ from the provisional status displayed on the panel due to pending information from various investigating authorities, representations made by the firms and other legitimate reasons. It should be noted that no representations will be accepted by the Office of CAG after the specified 10-day period mentioned above.

ICAI Announcement dated 26/06/2023

ICAI has made an announcement on June 26, 2023 with regard to representations about the data provided by applicants under the “Audit Experience Details” section, specifically related to turnover or certified expenditure exceeding Rs 40 Crore. To address these concerns, the ICAI is providing a One-Time Redressal Window from June 27 to June 29, 2023, where applicants can add, delete or modify the Unique Document Identification Numbers (UDINs) submitted in their online applications filed with the CAG Office.

Applicants who wish to update the information regarding their previously submitted UDINs can do so within the given timelines at the provided link:

https://app.meficai.org/auditExperienceDetails

Those who have registered for the MEF (Multipurpose Empanelment Form) Portal for the year 2022-23 can use their existing login credentials. For applicants who do not have login credentials for MEF 2022-23, the login details will be sent to their registered email addresses.

It’s important to note that the UDIN data submitted earlier to the CAG Office will be replaced with the updated and validated data during this redressal window. However, if applicants do not wish to edit, modify or add any data, the previously submitted information will be considered as it is.

The ICAI has advised members not to contact the CAG Office directly regarding this matter. Instead, for any clarification, they can send an email to pdc_datacollection@icai.in or call 011-30110440.

General Instructions: CAG Empanelment FY 2023-24

CAG Office has listed 23 instructions for empanelment of CA Firms for the FY 2023-24, which have been summarized as under:

1. Indian CA firms and LLPs with at least one full-time FCA as a partner or sole proprietor as of January 1, 2023, are eligible to apply for CAG Empanelment for the fiscal year 2023–24. This empanelment is for the purpose of appointing auditors for companies in accordance with Sections 139(5) and 139(7) of the Companies Act 2013, as well as auditors for statutory corporations and autonomous bodies in accordance with their respective Acts, according to the CAG Policy, which can be found on the CAG website (www.care.cag.gov.in).

2. Applications for CAG Empanelment must be submitted online on the CAG website (www.cag.gov.in) between January 6, 2023, and February 15, 2023. The information filed online in the application can be edited or modified any number of times until the last date of submission. It is advised to submit the application well in advance to avoid a last-minute rush. In the event that the online application is not filed, no request for empanelment will be entertained.

3. The information to be furnished in the CAG Empanelment application should be based on the position of the CA Firm/LLP as of January 1, 2023, especially for new applicants. In the case of CA firms or LLPs already on the CAG Panel, they can simply modify the information that is already available or prefilled in the annual empanelment application to reflect the changes and their status as of January 1, 2023.

4. Applicants CA firms and LLPs must submit or upload scanned copies of supporting documents when submitting the online application for CAG Empanelment. A hard copy must also be sent via postal service or courier, and must arrive at the CAG Office by February 28, 2023, at the latest. It should be noted that only complete applications will be considered for CAG Empanelment, and incomplete applications or documents received after the prescribed last date(s) will not be entertained by the CAG Office.

5. All applicant CA firms and LLPs will have to generate an online acknowledgement number for the year 2023–24 before being considered for empanelment. This acknowledgement number will be generated after submitting the online application form and uploading the necessary documents.

6. The data submitted by applicant CA firms or LLPs in the online application for CAG Empanelment should correspond to the most recent ICAI data (showing the position as of January 1, 2023) in respect of such a CA firm or LLP.It should be noted, however, that any changes after January 1, 2023 that result in a decrease in the rank of the applicant CA firm or LLP will be considered by the CAG Office.

7. For CAG Empanelment (FY 2023–24), the following documents must be provided by the applicant CA firms or LLPs:

a) A hard copy acknowledgement letter generated after submitting an online CAG Empanelment application and uploading documents for FY 2023-2024.

b) Statement I: Undertaking signed by all the partners/sole proprietors of the CA firm/LLP.

c) Statement II: Signatures of CA Employees of the CA Firm/LLP

d) A copy of the income tax return of the CA firm/LLP along with the computation of income for the assessment year 2022–23, including the distribution of income to partners.

e) Income tax return for the AY 2022–23 in respect of partners who joined the CA firm/LLP as partners after April 1, 2021, but who were previously associated with the firm/LLP as CA employees.

f) A copy of the annual accounts of the firm for the financial year 2021–22.

g) A copy of the schedules to the firm’s annual accounts for the financial year 2021–22, which show how the income (including the partners’ share of profit or loss, remuneration, and interest on capital) was split among the partners.

h) Statement III: Details of GST paid by the CA Firm/LLP for the financial year 2021–22

i) In the case of CISA-qualified members, a self-attested copy of the final CISA certificate granted by the “Information Systems Audit and Control Association,”  USA, and an undertaking as per Statement IV.

j) A self-attested copy of the final certificates of a Certified Public Accountant in the United States, a Certified Internal Auditor in the United States, and a Certified Fraud Examiner in the United States, as well as an undertaking according to Statement IVA.

k) If the CA firm, LLP, its partner, or a CA employee has been reprimanded by the Quality Review Board or the National Financial Reporting Authority, debarred by any regulator or authority, convicted, charged, or is on trial, a copy of the orders from the relevant authority(ies) must be attached.

l) A duly filled-up check list of the documents as per format (to be placed at the top).

The above documents should be properly tagged and page-numbered. CAG Office accepts no responsibility for documents that have not been properly tagged or that have been sent in pieces.

If you don’t send in the above documents, your application for CAG membership may be turned down.

8. The CA Firm/LLP needs to send the above documents for the CAG Empanelment application for FY 2023–24 to the CAG Office at the following address:

The Director General (Commercial) – I,
Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India
10 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi-110002

On the top of the envelope containing the above documents, please write “Application for empanelment of CA firms/LLPs with office of the CAG of India (FY 2023-24)“.

9. If the signatures of partners and CA employees whose information is filled out by the CA firm/LLP in the online empanelment application are not provided in Statement I and Statement II (in hard copy as well as online), they will not be considered for empanelment and the award of points.

10. The break-up of income of partners filled up in the online empanelment application should match the distribution of income as reflected in the schedules to the annual accounts. If there is a mismatch between these two in relation to any of the partners, that partner will not be considered for empanelment and point awarding.

11. A provisional CAG panel will be made available on the CAG website in the first week of May 2023 for a period of 10 days, indicating the position of empanelment and point score of the respective CA firm or LLP. Notification in this regard will be published on the CAG website, followed by an email to the applicant CA firms and LLPs in the last week of April 2023. Representation, if any, for a clerical mistake made by the firm/LLP in the online application data will be accepted during the above-mentioned 10-day period. The representation will be considered on merit on a case-by-case basis. No representation of any kind will be entertained after the 10-day period as mentioned above.

12. The CAG Office can call for more information about the online application for panel membership and the documents submitted by the CA Firm/LLP.

13. The information submitted by the applicant CA firm(s) or LLP is subject to verification by the CAG Office with reference to the updated details as may be provided by the ICAI and any other organization(s) as may be required. If any of the information so furnished is later found to be incorrect or false, or if there has been suppression of material information, the CA firm or LLP would be disqualified from empanelment or allocation of audit work and might also be liable for disciplinary action under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, and the regulations framed thereunder.

14. After finalisation of the panel, the same will be displayed on the CAG website (www.cag.gov.in) from where the empanelled firms and LLPs will be able to print out the CAG Empanelment Letter.

15. The decision of the Office of the CAG of India with regard to the empanelment of CAG Firm/LLP and consideration for appointment as auditor will be final.

16. The CAG Office can inspect the offices of the empanelled CA firms and LLPs to verify the correctness of the information furnished in the application for empanelment.

17. The CAG Office can take the necessary action in case the CA Firm/LLP refuses to take up the audit assignment without a valid reason.

18. It may be noted that the data filled in by the CA Firms/LLPs in the online application will primarily be used for CAG Empanelment, i.e., for the appointment of auditors of companies as per Sections 139(5) and 139(7) of the Companies Act 2013 and of statutory corporations and autonomous bodies as per the provisions of their respective Acts. However, the same may also be used for the preparation of panels for other organizations, such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Life Insurance Corporation of India, etc., as and when requested by such organisations.

For further details, please refer the official copy of the instructions of CAG Office in this regard:

General Instructions (updated 05/01/2023) for CAG Empanelment of CA Firms/ LLPs for the FY 2023-24

CAG Empanelment related further Information (Please visit CAG Website for Official/Updated copy)

FAQs about CAG Empanelment FY 2023-24 (updated 05/01/2023)

CAG Directions 2020-21 onwards u/s 143(5) of CA 2013 (updated 05/01/2023)

CAG Terms & Conditions for Appointment of Auditors u/s 139 of CA 2013 (updated 05/01/2023)

CAG Policy of Empanelment 2023-24 (updated 05/01/2023)

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