The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) recently conferred the distinguished Associate Chartered Accountants (ACA) designation to 318 new chartered accountants at its 2016 Annual Convocation.

The convention was held under the patronage of Mr. Timothy Speldewinde, Group Director of MAS Holdings and Mr. Lasantha Wickremasinghe, President of CA Sri Lanka at the BMICH, Colombo on 15th September 2016.

Joining a fraternity of over 5100 existing members, the new Associate Members were officially granted associate membership during the convocation which also signifies the completion of their globally recognized professional qualification in chartered accounting offered by CA Sri Lanka.

President of CA Sri Lanka, Mr. Lasantha Wickremasinghe addressing the new members underscored the importance of adhering to ethics when discharging their professional duties. “Being a professional is a privilege and it will bring both challenges and rewards. However, above all, being a professional is a responsibility and one must execute one’s responsibilities diligently and ethically,” he said.

Mr. Wickremasinghe said that the success of the profession depends on the respect that chartered accountants receive. He said that CA Sri Lanka members are in demand because they are good at what they do and because they discharge their duties ethically and respectfully.

“As new members of CA Sri Lanka, you are the new guardians of our profession as well as our institute, so remember to achieve success without compromising on your professional ethics and values,” he said.

In his congratulatory message, Mr. Speldewinde said that the CA Sri Lanka qualification will open doors to new vistas and give new members the confidence to embrace the journey with all its opportunities and challenges.

Vice President Mr. Jagath Perera said that the accounting profession is not a stagnant profession, and therefore it is important for members to keep abreast with changing local and global trends by following regular CPD programmes offered at the institute.

“This is the beginning of a very prestigious journey for you, and remember tomorrow you can be a chairman, managing director, CFO or a CEO, the journey may not be easy but it is full of unlimited opportunities, be better at what you do and you will be in demand always,” Mr. Perera added.

Mr. Thivanka Jayasinghe, Chairman of the CA Sri Lanka Member Relations Committee said that with the right amount of dedication and commitment the new members can progress towards reaching the highest peak in the corporate ladder.

“I am certain that our new members who come onboard today will play a tremendous role in helping propagate the importance of our profession further, while also playing an influential role to safeguard CA Sri Lanka’s impeccable standing in the corporate world,” he said.

Mr. Aruna Alwis, Chief Executive Officer of CA Sri Lanka said that members are considered as the institute’s primary stakeholder, and therefore every effort is taken to enhance their knowledge and standing to help their progression. “We will continue in this important endeavor because offering our stakeholders the best of services and qualifications will remain at the top of our agenda always,” he added.

CAPTIONS: Mr. Lasantha Wickremasinghe presenting the scroll (certificate) to a new member of CA Sri Lanka.