Topic of the master thesis is the Financial Instruments in Bank Accounting. The master thesis looks at bookkeeping and accounting of financial instruments in international financial reporting standards context. The main reporting standards which are discussed in the paper are: IAS 32, IAS 39, IFRS 7 and IFRS 9. In the first part, the reporting standards impact on banks as commercial subjects, legislation of bank operations, financial instruments and accounting in both a national and international context are presented. The focus of master thesis is examined in the second and third sections where financial instruments are discussed in detail and their characteristics, initial recognition, subsequent measurement and accounting are also examined. The next topic is the issue of the reclassification of financial instruments and their impairment is discussed. The forth part of the thesis examines IFRS 7. The standard has claims on the disclosure of financial instruments in both the statement of financial position and statement of comprehensive income. IFRS 7 also has claims on related areas including disclosure of credit, liquidity and market risk. The last part deals with news in the examined area where the main focus is IFRS 9.

The implementation of International Accounting Standard 32 Financial Instruments: Disclosure and Presentation (lAS 32), International Accounting Standard 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement (lAS 39) and International Financial Reporting Standard 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures (IFRS 7) by developing countries has been met with mixed reactions largely due to the extensive use of the fair value concept by the three accounting standards. The use of the fair value concept in developing countries has proved to be a significant challenge due to either a Jack of formal capital market systems or very thinly traded capital markets. This study investigates the obstacles to determining fair values of equity share investments, government bonds and corporate bonds, treasury bills and loan advances in Mozambique. The study was done through a combination of literature review and empirical research using a questionnaire. The trading statistics of the financial instruments on the Mozambique Stock Exchange and the prospectuses of bonds were used. The empirical research was carried out using a type of non-probability sampling technique called purposive sampling. A subcategory of purposive sampling called expert sampling was used to select the eventual sample which was composed of people with specialised knowledge on the capital market system in Mozambique. The results of the empirical research were analysed using pie charts to summarise the responses. The research concluded that the Mozambique Stock Exchange is an inactive market for financial instruments characterised by thin trading in both equity shares and bonds. The estimation of fair values evidenced by observable market transactions is therefore impossible. The absence of credit rating agencies in Mozambique presents a significant challenge in assigning credit risk and pricing financial instruments such as bonds. The research also noted that significant volatility of the main economic indicators such as treasury bills interest rates and inflation made it difficult to determine fair values of financial instruments using financial modelling techniques. Due to the above obstacles to determining fair values of certain financial instruments in Mozambique, the best alternatives are to value these financial instruments at either cost or amortised cost. / Financial Accounting / M. Com. (Accounting)