Management’s Report on Internal Control over
Financial Reporting
The management of The Bank of Nova Scotia (the Bank) is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, and have designed such internal control over financial reporting to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), including a reconciliation to U.S. GAAP.
Management has used the Internal Control – Integrated Framework to evaluate the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which is a recognized and suitable framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 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 that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management has evaluated the design and operation of the Bank’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2006, and has concluded that such internal control over financial reporting is effective. There are no material weaknesses that have been identified by management in this regard.
KPMG LLP, the independent auditors appointed by the shareholders of the Bank, who have audited the consolidated financial statements of the Bank, have also audited management’s assessment of internal controls over financial reporting and have issued the report below.
| Rick Waugh | Luc Vanneste | |
| President and Chief Executive Officer | Executive Vice-President and | |
| Chief Financial Officer |
Toronto, December 8, 2006
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders of The Bank of Nova Scotia
We have audited management’s assessment, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, that The Bank of Nova Scotia (the Bank) maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2006, based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Bank’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on management’s assessment and an opinion on the effectiveness of the Bank’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, evaluating management’s assessment, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles, including a reconciliation to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 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 that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, management’s assessment that the Bank maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2006, is fairly stated, in all material respects, based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by COSO. Also, in our opinion, the Bank maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2006, based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by COSO.
We have also audited the consolidated balance sheet of the Bank as at October 31, 2006 and the consolidated statements of income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Our report dated December 8, 2006 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
KPMG LLP
Chartered Accountants
Toronto, Canada,
Chartered Accountants
Toronto, Canada,
December 8, 2006
86 2006 SCOTIABANK ANNUAL REPORT