Answer:
Separation of duties.
Explanation:
Internal controls can be defined as the policies, set of rules, and procedures implemented or put in place by an organization to protect its assets, boost efficiency, enhance financial accountability, enforce adherence to company policies and prevent fraudulent behaviors among the employees.
The main purpose of internal controls is to guarantee that loss is eliminated by ensuring that there is an accurate and reliable accounting system.
One of the essential characteristics of internal control is the principle of establishing responsibility such as assigning responsibility to specific individuals. An internal control is considered to be most effective when an individual is solely responsible for a specific accounting task.
Hence, the principle of establishing responsibility include the following;
I. Only one person or an individual is being responsible for a task.
II. An individual is solely responsible for the authorization of transactions.
III. An individual is solely responsible for the approval of transactions.
Separation of duties is a cornerstone used as an internal control measure for the protection of information assets and in the prevention of financial loss.
According to the separation of duties, an employee such as an accountant who opens a bank statement should not be the same person that is saddled with the responsibility of reconciling cash inflow and outflow.
