Royal Institute of Management (RIM) will start Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) programme starting October this year.

RIM was declared CPA programme contact centre for CPA Australia in Thimphu yesterday along with signing of an agreement between RIM and CPA Australia.

CPA Australia is one of the world’s largest accounting bodies with a global membership of more than 160,000 members from 118 countries.

A press release from RIM stated that being a CPA was a mark of high professional competence. “It indicates soundness in depth, breadth and quality of accountancy knowledge.

Regional manager of CPA Australia, Mark Chau, said that the CPA programme was a certification programme to certify accountants. “University degree in accounting provides you with basic skills. CPA is a further certification to enable accountants to have the ability to practice in different countries.”

An individual should have a minimum of university degree to apply for the programme.

Mark Chau said that it is not necessary to have a degree in accounting to apply for the programme. “CPA programmes requires individuals to have university degree, not necessarily in accounting, but she or he has to have an aspiration to eventually work in accounting sector.”

Interested individuals have to first submit an application, following which they would have to take courses and sit exams for six or less foundation subjects (depending on the experience and courses taken in the university).

CPA Australia will offer the CPA programme with four compulsory and two electives at a 50 percent concession rate for the first three years. Each programme course can cost up AUS 1,220. Each foundation subjects cost AUS 345.

CPA Australia has also waived off the membership assessment fee of AUS 165.

Director general of RIM, Tshewang Tandin, said that CPA is in line with RIM’s mandate to cater to the education and training of in-service personnel and to focus on professional training.

“Because of the standards of the CPA Australia, credibility of the accountants will be enhanced,” he said “The accounting procedures within the country will be very professional and there will be standard procedures adopted if the accountants are CPA certified.”

He added that the certified individuals would also be more marketable “For all the auditing inside the country, agencies do not have to hire charter or professional accountants from outside. We will have enough numbers inside the country to do the auditing.”

Karma Cheki