Intervenção do Ministro de Estado e das Finanças na Conferência "The IESBA Ethics & Independence Conference 2025"

The collapses of Enron or Lehman Brothers showed how distorted reporting and weak auditing can have devastating consequences. Portugal also faced its own episodes with national banking institutions. These cases make clear that when ethics and oversight fail—whether in the United States, Italy, or Portugal— the consequences are not confined to individual firms but ripple across entire economies and societies. 

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This is also why global frameworks, such as those of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, are essential. They establish core principles, such as integrity, objectivity, competence, independence, confidentiality, and professional conduct, that help guide both accountants and auditors. 

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Looking ahead, the challenges of the future will test our commitment to ethics even further. Digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and the growing emphasis on non-financial reporting - particularly sustainability and ESG disclosures - create new dilemmas for accountants and auditors. In this evolving landscape, the quality of information produced by accountants and assured by auditors will be decisive: it must remain accurate, transparent, and decision-useful despite the complexity of new data sources and reporting frameworks.