The Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) has held its 19th graduation ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) in Accra.
The ceremony saw 221 Chartered Accountants, 32 Ghanaian and three Liberian Accounting Scheme Technicians West Africa (ATSWA) graduands awarded certificates. 277 new members were admitted into the institute after satisfying specific qualification criteria.
President of the Institute Joseph F. Odartey Blankson said the ICAG has come a long way as far as producing qualified Chartered accountants is concerned.
“This year’s achievement is no mean feat, considering that in the early days the pass rate averaged one accountant annually in the first five years (1963-1967).
“It is hoped that all graduands and newly-admitted members will endeavour to actively participate in the Institute’s activities and ensure they adopt professional attitudes and moral uprightness in their work to the glory of God and the nation,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Education, Mahama Ayariga, charged the graduands to uphold a very basic requirement of the constitution of Ghana — accountability.
“One of the founding principles of our democracy – accountability — rests on your shoulders. It is the way you go about your duties that takes the economy to greater heights.
“Today you are not to just produce financial statements and balance the books, but also you are required to analyse the statements critically and further give advice to the managers of the institutions that you work for so that informed decisions can be made to move the business forward,” he added.
The Institute was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 170, in 1963. It is the sole body charged with the regulation of the accounting profession in Ghana. Its members are the only persons recognised under the Companies Code (Act 179), 1963, for the purpose of auditing company accounts.
By Bernard Yaw ASHIADEY
