Malaysia Can Achieve Target Of Having 60,000 Accountants By 2020, Says ICAEW

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is able to achieve its target of having 60,000 accountants by 2020, said Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Head of Malaysia ICAEW, Loh Wei Yuen, said the country was moving towards achieving the target with support from professional accountancy bodies like ICAEW. "Professional bodies like us will do our own bit to engage more with students and encourage them to take professional qualifications," she told reporters after graduation ceremony of the 'Women in Leadership Malaysia' programme here Friday. Currently, 32,000 accountants are registered with the national accountancy body, Malaysian Institute of Accountants. Loh said ICAEW would be working with universities and companies to support the agenda to increase the number of accountants. "We also have a programme to encourage account and finance degree students, who are in their final year, to start their journey to be become chartered accountants before their graduation," she said. She said almost 100 ICAEW members, who qualified to be chartered accountants, would graduate this November. To date, ICAEW has 1,200 chartered accountants in Malaysia as members and 145,000 globally. On the 'Women in Leadership Malaysia' programme, which is now in its third year, Loh said, 30 women professionals graduated after a six-month training. The programme equips them with strategies and skills to navigate, build and lead, in pushing them to be placed in the board level of their companies. It is conducted by ICAEW in partnership with Talent Corp Malaysia Bhd and LeadWomen Sdn Bhd. To date, the programme has produced 74 graduates, including those who graduated on Friday. The next programme will commence in March next year. --BERNAMA