The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) sees changes as opportunities and strives to pave the way forward for the next five to 10 years.
'Technological innovation, globalisation of the accountancy profession, revolution in the financial world and the widening of Hong Kong's window between the world market and the mainland have posed a lot of challenges for us,' said Winnie Cheung Chee-woon, chief executive and registrar of the institute.
Qualification is fundamental to meeting challenges and sustaining professionalism, for which the institute has responsibility under the Professional Accountants Ordinance.
'HKICPA saw the requirements of the 21st century in the mid-1990s, so it knew what expertise and skills were required to train accountants capable of supporting business needs that were growing ever more sophisticated,' Ms Cheung said.
The institute's Qualification Programme (QP) covers four subjects necessary to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA): financial reporting; financial management; auditing and information management; and taxation.
For university graduates without a degree in accounting, a conversion course will be provided before admission to the accountancy qualification programme.
