Audit Committee Charter
Date: 8/24/2005
CHARTER OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS OF NEWMARKET TECHNOLOGY, INC.
This charter governs the operations of the Audit
Committee (the "Committee") of the Board of
Directors (the "Board") of NewMarket Technology,
Inc. (the "Company"). At least annually, the
Committee shall review and reassess this charter and
recommend any proposed changes to the Board for its
approval. The Company shall make this charter available on
its web site at www.newmarkettechnology.com.
Role of the Audit Committee
The Committee's primary responsibilities fall into
three broad categories:
First, the Committee is charged with monitoring the
preparation of quarterly and annual financial reports by
the Company's management, including discussions with
management and the Company's outside auditors about draft
annual financial statements and key accounting and
reporting matters;
Second, the Committee is responsible for matters
concerning the relationship between the Company and its
outside auditors, including recommending their appointment
or removal; reviewing the scope of their audit services
and related fees, as well as any other services being
provided to the Company; and determining whether the
outside auditors are independent (based in part on
Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1); and
Third, the Committee oversees management's
implementation of effective accounting controls, and
reviews recommendations of the Company's internal auditing
program.
Composition of the Audit Committee
1. The Audit Committee shall consist of at least two
Board members, all of whom meet the requirements for
independence under the SEC rules and American Stock
Exchange listing standards.
2. Prospective members shall be recommended by the
Nominating and Governance Committee, if one exists, and
shall be appointed by the Board. One member shall be
designated by the Board as the Committee Chair;
3. All members shall be financially literate, as
determined by the Board in its business judgment, or shall
become so in a reasonable period of time after
appointment; and
4. At least one member of the Committee shall have
accounting or related financial management expertise, as
determined by the Board in its business judgment, and
shall be a "Financial Expert," as defined by the
SEC.
Meetings
The Committee shall meet at least four times per year
or more frequently as circumstances require. The Committee
may have in attendance at meetings members of management,
consultants, or others it deems necessary in order to
provide the information necessary to carry out its duties.
The Committee will also meet periodically in executive
session without members of management present.
Committee Duties and Responsibilities
The Committee shall have the following duties,
responsibilities and powers:
1. With respect to the independent accountant, the
Audit Committee shall:
(a) have the sole authority to appointment or to
replace the independent accountant (subject to stockholder
ratification), and shall be directly responsible for the
compensation and oversight of the work of the independent
registered public accountant engaged for the purpose of
preparing or issuing an audit report or related work or
performing other audit, review or attest services for the
Company. The independent accountant shall report directly
to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee shall also be
responsible for the resolution of disagreements, if any,
between management and the independent accountant
regarding financial reporting.
(b) pre-approve all audit and permitted non-audit
services, including engagement fees and terms of such
services, to be performed for the Company by its
independent accountant. The Audit Committee may delegate
the authority to pre-approve services to a subcommittee
consisting of one or more members of the Audit Committee.
To the extent deemed necessary, the Audit Committee may
establish policies and procedures for the pre-approval of
all permitted non-audit services to be provided by the
independent accountant.
(c) establish procedures for the receipt, retention and
treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding
accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing
matters, and the confidential anonymous submission by
employees of the Company of concerns regarding
questionable accounting or auditing matters.
(d) have the authority to retain independent outside
legal, accounting or other advisors, to the extent that it
deems necessary to carry out its duties.
(e) determine the appropriate amount of funding to be
provided by the Company to the Audit Committee, for
payment of compensation to (i) the independent accountant
engaged for the purpose of rendering or issuing an audit
report or related work or performing other audit, review
or attest services for the Company; and (ii) any advisors
retained by the Audit Committee.
(f) Meet regularly with the independent accountant.
Meet separately on a periodic basis with management, the
internal auditors and the independent accountant. Provide
an opportunity for the independent accountant to meet with
the Board when necessary and appropriate;
(g) Confirm and assure the independent accountant's
independence by:
(i) Reviewing the independent accountant's annual
written statement delineating all relationships between
the independent accountant and the Company;
(ii) Monitoring, pre-approving and, if appropriate,
limiting fees paid to the independent accountant for audit
services, internal control-related services, and other
non-audit services;
(iii) Discussing with the independent accountant any
relationships or services that may affect the independent
accountant's objectivity or independence;
(iv) Verifying that the independent accountant has
complied with requirements regarding the rotation of lead
audit partners; and
(v) Confirming and assuring no attempts have been made
to improperly influence the performance of the independent
accountant's audit functions.
(h) Review and approve the annual audit plan and the
audit reports of the independent accountant;
(i) Obtain and review, at least annually, the
independent accountant's report describing: the
independent accountant's internal quality-control
procedures; any material issues raised by the most recent
internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the
independent accountant, or by any inquiry or investigation
by governmental or professional authorities, within the
preceding five years, respecting one or more independent
audits carried out by the independent accountant; any
steps taken to deal with the issues; and all relationships
between the independent accountant and the Company; and
(j) Set policies regulating the hiring of employees and
former employees of the independent accountants.
2. With respect to the internal accountant the
Committee shall:
Review periodically internal audit activities,
staffing, and budget, to assure the appropriate level of
resources is available.
3. With respect to the Company's financial disclosures,
the Committee shall:
(a) review all related party transactions on an ongoing
basis;
(b) Review with management and the independent
accountant:
- Significant financial reporting issues and judgments
made in connection with the preparation of the Company's
consolidated financial statements;
- Significant issues regarding the Company's accounting
and reporting principles and practices, including critical
accounting policies;
- Significant changes or developments in accounting and
reporting principles and practices;
- the results of the audit, including a review of any
audit problems or difficulties encountered by the
independent accountant in the course of the audit work,
any restrictions on the scope of its activities or access
to required personnel or information, and any
disagreements with management;
- any significant changes required in the scope of the
independent accountant's audit; and
- principles of accounting proposed or promulgated by
regulatory accounting authorities;
(c) Review legal matters that may have a material
impact on the consolidated financial statements with the
Company's management
(d) Review the annual audited and quarterly reviewed
consolidated financial statements, including
"Management's Discussion and Analysis" or
"Plan of Operation" with management and the
independent accountant prior to the Company's filing of
the related Annual Report on Form 10-KSB (or Form 10-K)
and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-QSB (or Form 10-QSB),
respectively, with the SEC;
(e) Recommend to the Board whether the audited
consolidated financial statements be included in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB prior to its
filing;
(f) Review the Annual Report on Form 10-KSB and the
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-QSB prior to their filing.
Oversight Role:
The Company's financial statements are the
responsibility of management. The independent accountant's
responsibility is to plan and perform its audit to obtain
reasonable assurance that the financial statements present
fairly, in all material respects, the Company's financial
position, results of operations and cash flows. The
Company's internal audit function is responsible for
providing an independent, objective appraisal of the
Company's business activities to support management in its
responsibilities to conduct operations in an environment
of effective internal control, and in its assertion of the
effectiveness of these internal controls for regulatory
reporting purposes. The Committee's responsibility shall
be to oversee these activities and the other matters
outlined in this Charter. |