MORE than a hundred registered practicing accountants throughout the country have attended a two-day Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) conference last week in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province.
With the theme ‘Navigating Pathways to Economic Empowerment’, guest speakers included some of the prominent experts in the agriculture, education, governance and business sectors who spoke on various topics relating to the theme.
Coffee Minister Hon William Bando during the opening of the conference said CPA PNG has been at the forefront of navigating pathways to economic empowerment, training and developing skilled accountants who are pivotal in nation-building.
Minister Bando said that in 2019, CPA PNG achieved a significant milestone by attaining membership in the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), placing PNG accountants on par with their counterparts from America, England and Australia.
“This achievement underscores CPA PNG’s leadership in creating pathways for economic advancement,” he said.
“As your coffee minister, I recognize the timely relevance of this theme to economic empowerment through coffee development. Coffee not only holds a cherished place as a beloved beverage and major cash crop, but also serves as a catalyst for economic growth, social equity and sustainable livelihoods in our communities,” Minister Bando said.
He noted the Marape-Rosso Government envisions positioning the coffee sector as a K30 billion economy by 2023, as outlined in Vision 2025, Medium Term Development Plan IV, and the National Agricultural Sectoral Plan 2023- 2033. To achieve this ambitious goal, an investment of K500m over the same period is essential to ramp up annual coffee exports to 3 million bags.
CIC Financial Controller Nicholas Wakan who is the CPA PNG Goroka Branch President said that the Goroka conference was the first of its kind to be held in the Highlands since its establishment.
“The 2024 conference is a platform for all of us to come together to share our research, and learn from each other’s experiences. By working together, we can make a meaningful impact in our communities and contribute to the betterment of our society,” he said.
CPA PNG was established in 1974 as an Association. In 1996 it was established by an Act of Parliament as a mandatory membership organization for all accountancy professionals in Papua New Guinea (PNG)—Certified Practising Accountants and Certified Accounting Technicians. At the time it was called the Institute of Public Accountants. The name was changed to Certified Practising Accountants PNG in 2003.