Accountants must drive economic empowerment

ZIMBABWE should ride on the expertise of its professionals to realise its vision of attaining robust economic empowerment and ultimately turning around fortunes for its citizens through the active participation of all players, an official has said.

Officiating at the 24th Annual Conference of the Southern Africa Association of Accountants (SAAA), Secretary for Public Service Commission, Dr Tsitsi Choruma, said finance and accounting professionals play a crucial role in safeguarding the public interest as gatekeepers of both public and private assets.

In a speech read on her behalf by Mr Norbert Machinjike, who is head of pay and benefits at the PSC, she said Zimbabwe was privileged to have a forward-thinking leadership committed to effective economic management .

“The coming together of accounting professionals to share ideas and adapt to the changing landscape testifies to the prerogative to remain relevant, innovative and pro-active,” she said.

“It’s this commitment to keep pace with the changing times that is a key cog in achieving Vision 2030. As the world rapidly evolves, we must also transform to build a brighter future for Zimbabwe, guided by the visionary leadership of President Mnangagwa.”

Dr Choruma challenged accounting professionals to transform and re-align their values with the changing economic trends to remain relevant while contributing to the country’s development agenda.

“There is a pressing need for us to re-evaluate and re-align our values and principles to achieve economic transformation,” she added.

Dr Choruma said the Government was doing everything possible to address the challenges facing the economy, which requires the active involvement of all stakeholders including accountants.

Building a robust, resilient and inclusive workforce, thus, requires consensus and collaboration in manpower planning, skills development and implementation using a fit-for-purpose and consultative approach, she said.

“I commend and appreciate the role the association is playing as a partner to the Government not only in the supply of accounting skills to the public sector but also in sensitising the public and advising the Government on important policy and tax matters,” said Dr Choruma.

“The value of these interactions is further accentuated by regular constructive feedback and purposeful consultation.
“I want to stress the vital role accountants play as the custodians of public funds. Many of you here are responsible for managing financial resources and as such strategically positioned to support Government’s efforts and those of the Office of the Auditor General.”

She said corruption has no place in the agenda of Government that is driven by the imperative to fulfil the collective vision of deserving citizens who have committed to the clarion call to build this nation brick by brick.

“Your professionalism and integrity are essential in ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of public funds. Let this conference send a lucid and clear message of uncompromising ethical adherences always underpinned by high-performance leadership,” said Dr Choruma.

“I urge all accountants to uphold the highest ethical standards and professionalism when managing financial affairs, whether in the private or the public sector.

“Adherence to the Public Financial Management Act and the accountancy profession’s code of ethics is essential. Your conduct and execution of duties must embody the values of integrity, transparency and accountability, always upholding the profession’s values.”

The two-day conference started on Sunday and ran under the theme: “The future of Accounting – Adapting to a changing landscape.”

Accounting and technology expert, Mr Christiaan Coetzee said technology should be a consequence of innovation in the accounting field, as he encouraged members to develop skills to transition. Delegates noted the need to identify key economic areas and how they prepare accountants to contribute to the economy. — @ncubeleon