(iii) Available-for-sale financial assets
S ignificant or prolonged decline in fair value below cost, significant financial difficulties of the issuer or obligor,
and the disappearance of an active trading market are objective evidence that investment securities classified as
available-for-sale financial assets are impaired.
I f an available-for-sale asset is impaired, an amount comprising the difference between its cost (net of any principal
repayment and amortisation) and its current fair value, less any impairment loss previously recognised in the
profit and loss account, is transferred from other comprehensive income to the profit and loss account. Reversals
of impairment losses in respect of equity instruments are not recognised in the profit and loss account; increase in
the fair value after impairment are recognised directly in other comprehensive income.
I n the case of non-equity investments classified as available-for-sale, impairment is assessed based on the same
criteria as financial assets carried at amortised cost. However, the amount recorded for impairment is the cumulative
loss measured as the difference between the amortised cost and the current fair value, less any impairment loss
on that investment previously recognised in the profit and loss account. Future interest income continues to be
accrued based on the reduced carrying amount of the asset, using the rate of interest used to discount the future
cash flows for the purpose of measuring the impairment loss. The interest income is recorded as part of finance
income. If, in a subsequent year, the fair value of a non-equity investment increases and the increase can be
objectively related to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognised in the profit and loss account,
the impairment loss is reversed in the profit and loss account.