CA Sri Lanka promotes groundbreaking 2015 curriculum in Kandy

Friday, 25 July 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In its continuing efforts to propagate the importance of a relevant and globally recognised professional qualification in accounting, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) recently unveiled its newly launched groundbreaking curriculum in Kandy. The unveiling in Kandy took place in the presence of the chief guest Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, Governor of Central Province and a host of corporate leaders, principals and teachers. The new CA Sri Lanka curriculum which will come into effect from next year came under high praise by the participants who termed the new curriculum as a ‘radical overhaul’ of the entire structure.

Central Finance Co. PLC Group Finance Director Shamil Peiris, addressing the event which was held under the theme ‘CA Sri Lanka’s Way Forward,’ said that it was no secret that the old curriculum generated Chartered Accountants who were very good in financial reporting, account reconciliation and other core competencies. “However, in practical real life business situations, we saw that sometimes there was lack of judgment, attitude, soft skills and knowledge in other important areas such as risk management, HR, marketing, import/export, forecasting, modeling and economic implications on business. Communication skills are a problem to many and as a result their full potential cannot be unleashed which is indeed a pity,” he noted. “But we have witnessed today by way of a radical overhaul in the entire structure of the curriculum,” Peiris said of the new curriculum which aims to produce a new breed of chartered accountants who will utilise their unique financial knowledge to spearhead businesses across all sectors from 2020 and beyond. While noting that the new curriculum demonstrates an unbelievably wider perspective which is broadly grouped into three areas, Peiris said that it was fascinating to know that the skills pillar will comprise not only the all-important IT sphere but would extend to include communications all the way upto public speaking.

“We will have CFOs who can add value and connect to strategy with good technical and market knowledge. Most importantly, the CA qualification will be one which provides the flexibility to move onto other areas as desired,” he said. “As an employer of Accountants, I am absolutely delighted. I see a future where there will be a pool of talent for employment with hardly any of the deficiencies that we were used to seeing before. The Accountants will fit in to the entire Management Team like cog wheels in a Swiss watch. I can see a drastic reduction in the time taken for new graduates to be fully productive. I can see our graduates moving up rapidly in the organisational structure crossing the departmental boundary lines as if they did not exist,” Peiris emphasised. CA Sri Lanka President Arjuna Herath, Chairman – Education & Curriculum Development Taskforce Manil Jayesinghe, and Chief Executive Officer Aruna Alwis were also present at the Kandy event.