REPOSITIONING THE ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN IN AFRICA 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants 14 th to 16 th May 2013 Accra, Ghana Presented By: Caroline J. Kigen Chief Executive, ICPAK

16 January Outline 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants 1.Setting the Stage 2.The Accounting technician: Who is and What do they do: How are they perceived 3.Repositioning the Accounting Technician

16 January Setting the Stage 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants Africas growth pace is like that of Asia; Africa is fast making good progress economically and is on its way to achieving economic growth and improving the quality of life of Africans. We are witnessing Africas epic comeback. Africa finally rising. Glorious Africa.

16 January Setting the Stage………….. 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants Reality for many includes Poverty: Unemployment: Weak Infrastructure; Rising crime; Political Instability. GDP growth rates of 6% - Many still support the growing number of relatives.

16 January Setting the Stage………… 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants Economy brewed in an African Pot: A mixture of development and poverty all in one; Agricultural; Industrializing; Information Age To understand where we are going we must understand where we came from: Recent independence in the 50s and 60s. Legacy of colonization- An education system for an industrialized/information age economy.

16 January The Role of Accounting Technicians in Africa 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants The role of accounting technicians tends to be operational in nature but may be middle mgt; recording of financial transactions and general accounting work cash management and transactions tax compliance work, preparation of financial records and reports, stock control, accounts payable or receivable work, payroll, budgeting and costing.

16 January The Role of Accounting Technicians in Africa………….. 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants Accounting Technicians have been viewed as second tier professionals The realities of the African economies-Large enterprises, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, A growing public Sector, Policies that encourage youth and women enterprises-Youth Fund; Women Fund, Technology creating new and better ways of doing business; overcoming traditional barriers to doing business

16 January Repositioning the Accounting Technician in Africa 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants There must be an acceptance and understanding of the important role played by the Accounting Technician particularly in Africa; Development of an Accounting Technician Qualification must become a priority for Africa When developing the program take into account the following; Entry requirements; Content of the Syllabus; Should incorporate practical experience Role for PAFA

16 January Repositioning the Accounting Technician in Africa……….. 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants Change the mind set: The Accounting Technician qualification can confer a fulfilling lifelong career for the youth. Professional Accountancy Organizations must support the development of Accounting Technicians; Be innovative and ensure the qualification and work appeals to the current generation.

16 January Conclusion 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants Chairman of the National Media Commission of Ghana We all encounter accountants along the journey of life. Call them bursars, account clerks, half baked accountants or full CPA/CAs. Whatever name you give these men and women who deal with figures and numbers, you must grant this class of professionals a special place in our development or suffer decline as a nation.

16 January Conclusion………. 2 nd Africa Congress of Accountants Take note that when Jesus chose his first 12 disciples, although the Lord was not the kind of person bothered about earthly and pecuniary matters, he made sure he included at least one accountant-Mathew as against four fishermen- Simon Peter, James, John and Andrew and 7 others whose professions are not fully disclosed.

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