Toshiba foresees loss following accounting scandal


Japanese energy and electronics giant Toshiba Corp. has revamped its leadership lineup and is forecasting a net loss in the current fiscal year as it cleans up problems with its accounting and corporate governance. The Tokyo-based maker of products ranging from submarine systems to semiconductors plans to trim its board of directors to 11 from 16 members, while appointing a majority of outsiders to help improve oversight. The problems at the 140-year-old company have underscored the persisting weaknesses in Japanese corporate management. The government has been pushing companies to beef up their governance and be more accountable to their shareholders, with mixed results. A probe by an outside panel reported in July that it found extensive underreporting of project costs and losses in many divisions in a scandal that prompted the resignations of former President Hisao Tanaka and two other executives. Toshiba said it will record an asset devaluation loss of 127 billion yen ($1 billion) and 48 billion yen ($386 million) in costs due to the scandal.