KOCHI: Helen Brand, the chief executive officer of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the global body of professional accountants, was recently in India to participate in the Olympics of Accountants – the 21st World Congress of Accountants. TNIE caught up with her during her stopover in Kochi. Excerpts from an interview
Could you give us an idea about ACCA’s journey in India?
ACCA has been contributing to the profession in India for over 20 years. We have members who are working in places such as the UK, Australia and Africa and in India. We have about 40,000 affiliates and students, and more than a thousand qualified members in India. We work with universities across the globe, learning providers, employers and bring all global qualifications to the market.
The ACCA qualification is based on International Financial Reporting Standards and International Auditing Standards. ACCA was founded in 1904 and now has over 2,40,000 members globally. The majority of members are in the UK.
Could you please elaborate on ACCA’s climate finance course?
Sustainability is a major issue globally, and there is a public expectation of how businesses and governments should act sustainably. So ACCA has been, for long, supportive of transparency in reporting in terms of environmental and social impacts, and the use of natural capital.
This is a huge area of knowledge that needs to be developed. So the accountancy profession is equipping its people to drive sustainable business practices. For example, one of the things we did recently was to jointly develop a climate finance learning programme with the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute.
We also have an ACCA certificate in sustainability. ACCA has made commitments to sustainable development goals. We are clear that the biggest impact we can make is by equipping our students and members with the right knowledge and skills to run sustainable businesses.
What are your views on the current accounting sector in India?
It’s extremely vibrant, and the growth in the economy is a huge opportunity for accountants. We are working with universities and learning providers to help with the curriculum. Students can be attracted to the profession, but they should also have knowledge about it. We have a recruitment policy where students should be informed, motivated and supported. We have a policy of not putting up barriers to entry as, sometimes, people might have different levels of educational qualification. We also develop a peer community digitally.
How important a role does technology play in accounting?
Professional accounting is more about understanding how technology can drive business, where one needs to be investing in technology as much as coding or other things are concerned. So we have embedded digital competence such as certificates in artificial intelligence and robotics.
What are your plans for India?
We focus on public good and understanding the points of financial literacy at a very young age. Hence, to expose young people to this, we have a two-year programme with schools. Currently, the programme is being implemented on a pilot basis in schools in Chennai, where ACCA members are training teachers on how they could include this finance programme into the curriculum. We plan to extend it soon to schools in Kerala.