I forgot to answer your first questions. The KA has very normal expenses; wages & salaries, rent, telephone/Internet, electricity, vehicle expenses, office rent and general supplies, stationery and other supplies directly related to the administration of Kashrut such as, stickers/labels, Kashering equipment, travel to factories to assess products for certification, some interstate, some overseas, advertising etc., etc., the same as any business.
Bank guarantees are based on the estimated credit that is extended to the licensees to cover our 2 weekly invoicing cycle, and therefore vary from licensee to licensee.

I am not quite sure how much more openness you expect. As an incorporated association governed by the laws of NSW, we submit audited accounts to the Dept. of Fair Trading every year, and openly offer those accounts for viewing by the community at The KA office. Every service for which we charge is displayed, with the corresponding charge, on our website. Almost the only thing we don’t make public is our employees’ salaries and I am sure you appreciate that.

I am not quite sure of the point you are making with a comparison to Halal. We also extend certifications to pet food, specifically for Pesach; pets aren’t Jewish so they have no obligations in Kashrut. Amongst the thousands of products in our Kosher Product Directory are many honeys and many medications. One needs to remember there are probably 500,000 Muslims as opposed to approximately 100,000 Jews in Australia, so Halal certification is a more attractive proposition to food manufacturers than is Kosher certification, it all comes down to economies of scale. I also understand a much higher percentage of Muslims observe the Halal laws than Jews who currently observe Kashrut. Baruch Hashem that is increasing all the time. If you have any questions, ask them, president@ka.org.au.

Openness would inform the community and it would also enable the general community to compare KA certification with the far more wide spread halal certifications which extend to items like pet food, honey and even some medications.