PNG in dire need of practicing accountants
By AIVA TAMATE
PAPUA New Guinea is in dire need of more certified practicing accountants who can provide efficient services.
Daniel Biti, executive director of Certified Practicing Accountants of Papua New Guinea (CPAPNG), said there are a staggering number of people who have graduated as accountants, yet are not legally affiliated with CPAPNG.
Mr Biti revealed this during an audience with staff and students from the Faculty of Business and Management at Divine Word University (DWU).
He said students should affiliate themsselves to become familiar with the organisation and the legal obligations they have once they graduated.
He said students are allowed to be affiliated as members, but would not receive full status until they graduated.
“You are required under law to be affiliated with CPAPNG and if you are an accountant who is not practicing accounting, then it will be deemed illegal,” Mr Biti said.
“Accountants who are not affiliated and charging rates for their services are doing it illegally,” he said.
Mr Biti said there are only 490 recorded PNG- certified practicing accountants in the Government sector and 1,700 in the business and commercial sectors.
“We cannot continue to import accountants to do the job ... this country needs accountants like you,” he said.
In a bid to curve statistics and encourage more local practicing accountants to affiliate with CAPNG, Mr Biti presented the nine examination materials to the business and management faculty which comprise of the modules: Finance Accounting 1&2, Taxation Law and Practice, Business Law, Auditing, Management Accounting, Knowledge Management, Professionalism and Professional Ethics.
DWU is officially considered as a testing centre for the CPAPNG certification examinations and will provide the supervision and resources at the time the examinations are given.
The modules will be stored at the Friendship Library for the students to make reference to until they are required to sit for their examination, which would be upon the completion of a diploma or bachelors course.
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