Last
November IFA President Hugh Laing, accompanied by the Chief Executive, visited
Russia to represent the International Association of Book-keepers, at a forum
held in the Kremlin. This was in response to an invitation from the organising
committee of Global experience and the Russian economy which also incorporated
presentation of the third 'Accountant of the Year' awards.
The forum was attended by nearly 4,000 delegates
employed in businesses of all sizes from all over Russia, generally as
accountants or chief accountants. It included a pre-sentation by Laing setting
out the objectives of the IAB in Russia and of 'Book-keeper of the Year'
awards.
The IAB qualification is being promoted in Russia by Post Graduate RAA Ltd
where Igor Zhuravlev is principal.
At the 'Forum' there was a small exhibition at
which the company had a stand promoting courses leading to the IAB
exam-inations which resulted in many enquiries about the IAB.
Zhuravlev was enthusiastic about the
possibilities for both the IAB and the IFA in Russia and there were some frank
exchanges of views on how they should be promoted in view of the problems of
working in Russia. Membership of the IAB was not being promoted in Russia and
if it were to be then added value through membership services was called for.
Local offices would need to be estab-lished, starting with Moscow and St
Petersburg to co-ordinate, organise and arrange member-ship services.
It transpired that the students taking the IAB
examinations were often employed as company accountant or chief accountant so
membership of the IFA was more appropriate for them. Nevertheless due to the
change in the accounting system there was a need for them to go back to basics,
and the IAB offered a good foundation in International Accounting Standards.
The deputation met Professor Anatoly Sheremit,
President of CIS Association of Accountants and Auditors, who advises the
Russian Government on the Accountancy profession. He agreed to help gain
endorsement of the IAB by the Russian Government and with the localis-ing of
the Business Law and Business Taxation papers for the IFA examinations.
His colleague Olga Nikolaeva, Principal Lecturer
IAB Programme at Post Graduate RAA Ltd. was enthusiastic about the IAB
programme but com-plained that the translation of the training material was
poor - Mr Dean pointed out to her that the training material was not the
property of the IAB, and if she wished she could use her own training material.
It was agreed that more support from the IAB for the tutors was required and
JMD agreed to look at the feasi-bility of arranging regular work-shops for
tutors. It was suggested they should be arranged at least once every two years.
The four days in Russia were the first part of a three-legged trip, which
included Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Mr Laing and Mr Dean met Ramola Sivasundaram and
her mother Mano Muthu Krishna from The Polytechnic, which is the IAB training
body in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). They also met the Executive Council of the
IFA/IAB Society in Sri Lanka and Mr Laing went on to present Examination and
Membership Certificates to nearly 400 IAB stu-dents and graduates.
Meetings with held with officials of the
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Sri Lanka Division, and the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka which is enthusiastic of future
co-operation with the IFA and IAB as it wants greater international recog-nition
for its qualification.
Before leaving the island Messrs Laing and Dean
met IFA and IAB members and students and brought them up to date by revealing
plans for the improve-ment of the awareness and pro-file of both
qualifications. It was announced that the IFA and IAB Society in Sri Lanka was
now operational, having now received .money from the UK, and would be putting
on a programme of events for the ensuing year.
In South Africa Mr Laing and Mr Dean visited four
colleges, one of which teaches the syllabus of the Institute of Book-keepers of
South Africa, which is owned by the IFA. There were also members' meetings in
Johannesburg and Cape Town and a meeting with the Australian accounting body,
the National Institute of Accountants with which a co-operation agreement was
discussed.
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