Accountants in Uganda have been urged to be brave and take the lead in the fight against corruption, despite the different threats they may encounter in the course of carrying out their duties.
Prof. Lekoa Solly Mollo, the High Commissioner of the South African High Commission to Uganda said accountants can smell and detect corruption urging them to bear the cart and blow the whistle to stump out corruption not only in Uganda but the world over.
“Stop thinking selfishly and do it for posterity. Help the future because the future is looking for patriotic and freedom fighters. Future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted but the brave.
“Rescue the continent from corruption, deny and disown corruption,” said Solly Mollo during the 23rd CPA Annual Seminar organized by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe.
He cautioned that greed and need for money have tarnished or compromised the accountancy profession, reminding them that trust between them and their clients is very necessary.
“Other than lawyers, accountants can be compelled to testify against their clients in Courts of Law. Trust between you and your clients is key,” added Sollo Mollo who delivered the Keynote Speech.
The 23rd CPA Annual Seminar, which ran under the theme of Shaping the Future, was attended by close to 2000 Certified Public Accountants.
Fredrick Kibbedi, the ICPAU President, reiterated the need for all people practising accountancy in Uganda to get the necessary qualifications adding that all those practising accountancy yet they are not accountants will be arrested under the Accountancy Act 2014.
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“We’re urging all those people currently occupying the accountancy space yet they are not accountants to stop. The long arm of the law will catch up with them,” said Kibbedi.
Noah Baalessava of Crypto Savannah, African BlockChain Innovation Hub, reminded accountants of the disruptive technologies like Artificial Intelligence, BlockChain Technology, Internet of Things and Drones that may eat into their accountancy space in the near future, urging them to move with the evolving technology.