Graduates able to apply for membership of UK institute

By MOYA IOWA
Public finance and accountancy graduates from the University of Papua New Guinea will now be eligible to apply for membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) of the United Kingdom.
UPNG acting Vice-Chancellor Vincent Malaibe signed an agreement with CIPFA director Gill Orr last Saturday at CIPFA’s London office. The event was witnessed by the executive dean of the School of Business and Public Policy and other staff from the school along with Finance Secretary Dr Ken Ngangan and his First Assistant Secretary Joe Sapa.
Orr said that UPNG’s BPFA programme was on par with the international CIPFA qualification after completing the rigorous accreditation process. Orr added that in its one 125-year history this was the first time CIPFA had signed an MoU with a university to recognise a degree qualification to award membership.
The signing is the result of dialogue between UPNG and CIPFA for the last two years.
Under the agreement students graduating from the BPFA programme will be eligible to apply for membership without taking any further examinations at CIPFA.