Directors’ statement of responsibility (continued) 124 Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2024 Strategic report
Governance
Financials
Other information
Going concern The Group’s business activities, performance, position, principal risks and uncertainties and the Directors’ assessment of its long-term viability are set out on page 63. In addition, the funding position of the Group is included in ‘Borrowings’ and ‘Capital and financial risk management’ in notes 21 and 22, respectively, to the consolidated financial statements. Notes 21 and 22 include disclosure in relation to the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for managing, as well as details regarding its capital, its financial risk management objectives, its financial instruments and hedging activities, and its exposures to credit risk and liquidity risk. As noted on pages 193 to 194, the Group has access to substantial cash and financing facilities. The Group also believes it adequately manages or mitigates its solvency and liquidity risks through two primary processes, described below Business planning process and performance management The Group’s forecasting and planning cycle consists of in-year forecasts, a budget and a long-range plan. These generate income statement, cash flow and net debt projections for assessment by Group management and the Board. Each forecast is compared with prior forecasts and actual results to identify variances and understand the drivers of the changes and their future impact so management can take action where appropriate. Additional analysis is undertaken to review and sense check the key assumptions underpinning the forecasts. These forecasts also review the expected outcomes of announced M&A transactions. Cash flow and liquidity reviews The business planning process provides outputs for detailed cash flow and liquidity reviews, to ensure that the Group maintains adequate liquidity throughout the forecast periods. The prime output is a liquidity forecast that is prepared and updated at least on a monthly basis, which highlights the extent of the Group’s liquidity based on controlled cash flows and the headroom under the Group’s undrawn revolving credit facility. The key inputs into this forecast are: – Free cash flow forecasts with information taken from the business planning process; – Bond and other debt maturities; – Completion of committed M&A transactions; and – Expectations for shareholder returns and spectrum auctions. The liquidity forecast is reviewed by the Group Chief Financial Officer and included in each of the reports to the Board. In addition, the Group continues to manage its foreign exchange and interest rate risks within the framework of policies and guidelines authorised and reviewed by the Board, with oversight provided by the Treasury Risk Committee. The Directors have also considered sensitivities in respect of potential downside scenarios in concluding that the Group is able to continue in operation for the period to 30 June 2025 from the date of approving the consolidated financial statements. These sensitivities include the non-refinancing of debt maturities, the failure of M&A disposal transactions to complete in the assessment period mitigated by the cessation of share buyback plans. A reverse stress test was reviewed to understand how severe conditions would have to be to breach liquidity, including a required reduction in Adjusted EBITDAaL compared to current performance and forecasts. The Directors also considered the availability of the Group’s €7.8 billion undrawn revolving credit facilities as at 31 March 2024.
The Directors also considered the findings of the work performed to support the statement on the long-term viability of the Group. As noted on page 63, this included key changes to relevant principal risks in light of global economic and political uncertainty, sensitivity analysis, scenario assessments, and combinations of these, over the viability assessment period. Conclusion Based on the review, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company and the Group have adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Directors continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the Annual Report and Accounts. Controls over financial reporting Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Group. The Group’s internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that: – Pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect transactions and dispositions of assets; – Are designed to provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of financial statements in accordance with UK-adopted IAS, with IFRS as issued by the IASB and with the requirements of the Act, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorisation of management and the Directors of the Company; and – Provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorised acquisition, use or disposition of the Group’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. During the year covered by this report, there were no changes in the Group’s internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the effectiveness of the internal controls over financial reporting. Any internal control framework, no matter how well designed, has inherent limitations including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures, and may not prevent or detect misstatements. Furthermore, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or because the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. By order of the Board Maaike de Bie Group General Counsel and Company Secretary 14 May 2024
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