Dr. Chen Yugui

President, CAPA

The Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA) comprises professional accountancy organisations from 23 countries, that in turn represent a membership of over 2 million accountants, nearly two-thirds of all accountants that are members of such organisations worldwide.

The CAPA Conference is a legacy that marks the birth of CAPA as a regional accountancy organisation, and this 20th instalment is a milestone in our 64 years of history. We are delighted to partner with our valued member, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), and stage a hybrid event which encompasses both a CAPA Conference and CA Sri Lanka’s flagship annual National Conference. In the words attributed to the philosopher Aristotle, we are working on the basis that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’.

This conference, themed ‘Heritage – Many businesses, One planet’, seeks to take a holistic perspective on how the accountancy profession can play its part today, for a better future. This is especially pertinent and relevant, now more than ever, against a pandemic backdrop, and a volatile and rapidly changing environment.

Moving away from the purely traditional focus areas of the accountancy profession to encompass the changes affecting our business and environmental landscapes, the conference will explore contemporary conversations, opportunities and challenges presented by our times.

Recognising that Asia Pacific includes some of the most dynamic and fastest changing economies, the stage is set for extensive deliberations on what the accountancy profession can and must do, what reforms must take place, and how we can rebuild trust, embrace ethics and good governance, as well as harness the positives of technology, to forge a sustainable future and leave a heritage we can be proud of.

We therefore invite and extend a warm welcome to delegates, both from abroad and from Sri Lanka, to the 20th CAPA Conference and the 42nd National Conference of CA Sri Lanka.

We also take the opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to our host, CA Sri Lanka, for their immense effort to stage this world-class event. An invaluable member of CAPA since 1960, CA Sri Lanka has been an incredible partner on this journey.

Mr. Sanjaya Bandara

President, CA Sri Lanka

Amidst increased disruption and an ever-evolving business landscape, the speed for change will continue to accelerate. Therefore, it is critical for finance professionals to be geared for transformation in these volatile and complex times.

The global pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis have had devastating consequences on our country and citizenry, due to skyrocketing inflation and unfathomable cost of living. While transformation is a wide-ranging topic, for finance professionals, including accountants, transformation has been part of their continuously evolving journey, and as such, they can play a key role in transforming not just corporate but also the country.

Moving away from their conventional roles, Accountants including Chartered Accountants are today identified as co-pilots of the business because they bring a multitude of critical skills to the table, ranging from technical to leadership as well as strategic thinking capabilities. As such, a Chartered Accountant is today identified as an integral part of a team because they add immense value to the corporate, and Accountants not only have the expertise to drive forward a corporate, but they also have the competence to give the required leadership to help Sri Lanka come out of this ongoing crisis.

Therefore, I am certain that this year’s conference on the theme ‘Transformation’ which focuses on self, society, corporate and country will be immensely beneficial to the participants as it will impart intellectual insights on how to contribute effectively to help transform the corporate landscape along with the country, all while identifying means of conquering uncertainties that stem from volatile market conditions in achieving the desired goals, so we can all move towards a true and ideal sense of ‘transformation.’