Australia’s largest superannuation fund has stated it won’t signal any new contracts with PwC because the consulting agency grapples with the fallout from a tax scandal in one in every of its largest markets.
AustralianSuper, which has nearly 3mn members and A$290bn ($191bn) of property below administration, stated on Friday that it will freeze any new work with the Massive 4 agency and assessment an audit contract later this 12 months.
“AustralianSuper is anxious with the continued revelations round PwC and consequently has frozen any new contracts with PwC,” stated a spokesperson for the fund. AustralianSuper had expressed these considerations “on the highest stage” to PwC final week, he added.
PwC has been below intense public scrutiny over the previous month after the discharge of emails exhibiting it had used confidential details about adjustments to tax legal guidelines from the federal government to win new enterprise.
It suspended 9 companions this week pending the result of an investigation in September because it moved to ease the influence of a scandal that has engulfed its Australian and worldwide operations.
An rising variety of corporations in Australia, one in every of PwC’s largest markets, are reviewing their relationship with the marketing consultant following the confidentiality breach.
AustralianSuper is the newest organisation to place restrictions on PwC following the scandal. The Reserve Financial institution of Australia stated on Wednesday it will not give new enterprise to the agency pending the result of the assessment. Treasury officers have additionally stated the moral behaviour of consultants would now should be taken under consideration when procuring new contracts.
AustralianSuper, which is partly owned by the Australian Council of Commerce Unions, stated it spent greater than A$2mn with PwC final 12 months. The freeze was first reported by Bloomberg.
PwC’s administration will seem in entrance of the senate in Canberra subsequent week to reply questions over the scandal. The agency is anticipated to return below extra strain to launch the names of the companions concerned in using the confidential info and any shoppers that benefited from the tax recommendation.
The federal government, which has referred the matter to the police to think about legal motion, has stated the onus is on PwC to persuade it that the corporate’s inner assessment and the resignation of any companions concerned within the scandal are ample redress for it to renew working with the general public sector.
