The Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) 40-F 2020 FY Annual report (Canada)

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

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 International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

Management has used the Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) to evaluate the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which is a recognized and suitable framework developed 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, 2020, 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, have also audited internal control over financial reporting and have issued their report below.

Brian J. Porter	Raj Viswanathan
President and Chief Executive Officer	Group Head and Chief Financial Officer

Toronto, Canada

December 1, 2020

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders of The Bank of Nova Scotia

Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We have audited The Bank of Nova Scotia’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2020, based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, The Bank of Nova Scotia (the Bank) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2020, based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated statements of financial position of the Bank as at October 31, 2020, and 2019, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended October 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements) and our report dated December 1, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.

Basis for Opinion

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, included under the heading “Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting” above. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Bank’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Bank in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. 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 of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

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 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.

Chartered Professional Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants

Toronto, Canada

December 1, 2020

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