ACCA thought leaders discuss way-forward at SAFA International Conference

ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) was the strategic partner at the ‘SAFA International Conference – SAARC Economic Challenges 2017’ held recently in Islamabad. The annual conference seeks to address the rising challenges and opportunities for accountants from the SAARC countries, in the digital era. Ayla Majid, ACCA Council Member and Sajjeed Aslam, Head of ACCA Pakistan were among the distinguished panellists representing the profession from Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Sajjeed Aslam deliberated on the topic ‘Creating functional synergy through accountants’ and Ayla shared her views on the topic ‘Consumer interest – nucleus of organization’s strategy and planning’. “The accounting profession is evolving at a very rapid pace. While professional accountants are expected to be the technical experts, there is now an increasing demand for them to have skills such as emotional, creativity and mastery of the digital world,” remarked Sajjeed in response to a question on what will be the future of the profession.

Being the only female on the panel, Ayla reiterated, “Organisations in Pakistan are now taking an active stand on issues such sustainability and integrated reporting so companies across Pakistan are now becoming more accountable entities. However, in our discussions we should also address topics related to diversity and speak about having more inclusive representation of women on corporate boards.”

SAFA President and ACCA member, A.S.M. Nayeem also appreciated the focus of ACCA on generating research and insights reports. The conference was attended by 200 professionals from across the region and the economic environment of the region was the focus area of the discussion.

About ACCA

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. It offers business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.

ACCA supports its 188,000 members and 480,000 students in 178 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. ACCA works through a network of 100 offices and centres and more than 7,110 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through its public interest remit, ACCA promotes appropriate regulation of accounting and conducts relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.

Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. It believes that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. ACCA’s core values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and it ensures that through its range of qualifications, it prepares accountants for business. ACCA seeks to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating its qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers. More information is here: www.accaglobal.com