CPA Australia, one of the world’s largest professional accounting organizations with over 173,000 members in over 100 countries, hosted ‘The President’s Cocktail’ in Colombo. The event was graced by the presence of Chief Guest, Hon. Dr. Susil Premajayantha, Minister of Education, and Guests of Honour, Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Chairman of the University Grants Commission, and Charge’ d’Affaires H.E. Lalita Kapur, Australian High Commission Colombo.
Other notable guests of the event included, Mr. Dinesh Weerakkody, Chairman, Board of Investments, Mr. Heshana Kuruppu, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Professor Lakshman Watawala, President of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka, (CMASL).
A key highlight of the Signing Ceremony of two Memorandum’s of Understanding (MoU), one between CPA Australia and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and the other between CPA Australia and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society Sri Lanka.
Professor Dale Pinto, President and Chair of the Board, CPA Australia said, “At CPA Australia, our vision is to ‘lead the future of the accounting profession and develop business professionals with tomorrow’s capabilities. We are deeply honoured to have forged these connections. Signing MoUs with esteemed organisations such as the CFA Society Sri Lanka and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura enables us to collaborate effectively and empower young talent with the latest accounting and finance knowledge and skills.”
Guest of Honour, Professor Sampath Amaratunga, Chairman of the University Grants Commission, also addressed the gathering, stating, “Firstly, let me thank The President of CPA Australia, and the CPA Australia organisation, for their decision to expand into Sri Lanka. We have 17 public universities all across the country, and a further 25 high-quality non-state universities as well. Despite the challenges brought about the crisis we faced over the last few years; we have managed to increase our student population by 50%. This is normally unheard of because of restrictions, funding and recruitment, but in Sri Lanka, because of the policies put in place by the government to provide opportunities for the youth, we were able to achieve this.”
Mr. Aruna Perera, President of the CFA Society Sri Lanka shared his thoughts on the partnerships forged during the evening. He said, “I am grateful that CPA Australia has decided to widen their reach in Sri Lanka. This partnership with CPA Australia, provides a fantastic opportunity to not only nurture talent in the accountant and financial sphere, but also provide them with global recognition as well.
Mr. Dinuk Hettiarchchi, Sri Lankan Liaison Representative of CPA Australia, also shared his thoughts, “The role of the accountant within organisations has changed significantly over the years and now more than ever, it is imperative that accountants contribute to development and decision making of any business. I believe that the partnerships forged by CPA Australia and these esteemed organizations through these MoUs set the foundation for providing the knowledge and tools required for accountants and financial professionals, to be a part of these processes.”
The event concluded with successful signing of the MoUs, which was followed by an evening of camaraderie and a mutual commitment between CPA Australia, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society Sri Lanka in sharing knowledge, ideas and enhancing the talent of Sri Lanka’s accounting and financial professionals.