China's Ministry of Finance requires accounting vouchers not reviewed automatically to be reviewed by a person, and automatic review rules to be traceable and signed off when set or changed

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Where this applies

A ministry rule applying to government bodies, companies and all other organisations that keep accounts with information systems. Article 17 allows vouchers generated automatically with clear review rules to be reviewed by the system, requires vouchers not reviewed automatically to be reviewed by a person before further processing, and requires the automatic review rules to be queryable, verifiable and traceable, with their setting and changes going through a sign-off procedure and kept on file. Article 6 makes the head of the organisation first responsible for accounting informatisation; Article 22 requires organisations with the means to automate accounting work. The first two sentences of Article 17 already appeared in the 2013 rule for enterprises; the sign-off on rules is new. It governs how automated accounting is controlled, not how many accountants do it.

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It says a person reviews and signs off, not who or how many; it does not show how organisations staff this or whether it is done well.

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