In a renewed boost to the country’s prestigious accounting profession, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) created an all-time new record by inducting 544 new Associate Chartered Accountants (ACAs) at the 2015 Convocation.
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The convocation was held under the patronage of Mr. Ajith E Tudawe, Chairman of Ceylon Hospitals PLC (Durdans Healthcare Group) and Group Director of Tudawe Brothers Ltd., and Mr. Arjuna Herath, President of CA Sri Lanka at the BMICH, Colombo on 10th September 2015.
The new Chartered Accountants were officially granted associate membership during the convocation which also signified the completion of their professional qualification in chartered accounting at CA Sri Lanka.
This is the first time in the Institute’s 55 year old history, that over 500 new Chartered Accountants were inducted at a single convocation. This year’s record number of Chartered Accountants is a result of the groundbreaking CA syllabus launched last year and the three case study exams conducted by the institute.
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Extending his congratulations to the new members, President of CA Sri Lanka, Mr. Arjuna Herath said that Members of CA Sri Lanka command respect across the world, and locally CA Sri Lanka members give leadership to an impressive number of corporates, whilst also sitting in the nerve centre of organisations in their professional capacity as accountants.
“We also have a strong international presence with over 30 percent of our members located in 42 countries across all continents. Hence, opportunities are immense for your career progression both here and abroad,” he said.
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Mr. Herath noted that in the backdrop of growing challenges and complexities in the world, the role of the accountant is changing significantly and rapidly. “Therefore, in order to ensure you are relevant in today’s constantly changing and challenging world, up to date knowledge and skills is perhaps the most important factor. As professionals you have to continue to assimilate and advance your knowledge through continuous learning. I encourage our new associate members to take maximum benefit of the Continuing Professional Development programmes we offer you at the institute,” he said.
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Vice President of CA Sri Lanka, Mr. Lasantha Wickremasinghe said that CA Sri Lanka qualified Chartered Accountants earn high respect both at a local and international level as well as in society. He reminded the new members that accounting is not a stagnant profession and today a significant number of CA Sri Lanka members consist of chairmen, vice presidents, directors, CEOs, CFOs among other high ranking positions.
“Today is the beginning of a very prestigious journey for you, and remember tomorrow you can be a director, a CEO or a CFO. The journey may not be easy but it is full of unlimited prospects. Be better at what you do and you will be in demand always,” he added.
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Chairman of the CA Sri Lanka Member Relations Committee, Mr. Sanjaya Bandara said that Chartered Accountants bear a great responsibility towards the profession and nation. “I call upon our new members to bear this in mind when performing their professional duties.”
“I am certain our new members who come onboard today will play a tremendous role in helping propagate the importance of our profession across Sri Lanka and the world, while also playing an influential role to safeguard CA Sri Lanka’s impeccable standing in the finance world,” he added.
Chief Executive Officer of CA Sri Lanka, Mr. Aruna Alwis noted that members are the institute’s primary stakeholder and every effort has been taken to offer them the best of services as well as qualifications.
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“Being a professional is a privilege and it will bring challenges and rewards. However, above all, being a pprofessional is a responsibility and one must execute one’s responsibilities diligently and ethically,” Mr. Alwis added.
