Accountants Urged to Provide Sound Financial Leadership

By Claude Nyarko Adams

Accountants have been urged to provide sound financial leadership as the nation strives toward an economy not dependent on aid.

Ghana requires not only physical infrastructure to facilitate economic growth but also the talent of professionals, including accountants in the preservation of the public purse through transparency and accountability, Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has said.

He stated that accountants were expected to be watchdogs and strictly adhere to the regulatory framework governing public financial management in the country to ensure corrupt practices, which were cankers to economic development were exposed.

These were contained in a speech read on his behalf at the 30th graduation and admission ceremony of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), held in Accra on Saturday.

The event saw 355 qualified accountants, 35 chartered diplomats and 19 Accounting Technicians Scheme West Africa (ATSWA) graduands awarded certificates.

A further 290 new members were formally admitted to join the institute's existing membership after successfully passing all three levels of the Chartered Accountants professional examinations, whilst others met the requirements via an assessment of training they had received at equivalent professional accountancy bodies.

According to the Minister, the President's agenda of Ghana beyond aid would not materialise if proper financial management was not followed in the use of public funds and urged accountants to commit to imbibing high ethical standards and professionalism in the performance of duty.

"I wish to urge you to commit yourselves to imbibing the ideals of high ethical standards, good corporate governance, effective internal controls, proper risk assessments, professionalism and business ethics in all your dealings. Do not cut corners because of personal gains. Think of your country first and act in accordance with the tenets of the accounting profession," Dr Prempeh added.

He advised the graduands to be abreast of modern technology in the accounting profession and called on them to play major roles in the decision making of every organisation to make economically-viable decisions.

Mr Christian Sottie, President of ICAG, reminded the graduands of the need to keep their integrity in check to avoid any act that would bring shame on the profession and the institute at large.

"Keep in mind the words "ethics" and 'integrity' and let it be your watch words as you work as an accountant. Do not conform to any negative practice that might lead you to destruction. Always think critically before arriving at your decisions and work hard to deliver results irrespective of the challenges you encounter," he added.

Mr Sottie urged the graduands to participate in the institute's activities to sharpen their knowledge, and networking among members as well as contribute to issues of national development.

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