SAFA accepts recommendation of the ICAI for forming SAFA Women Empowerment Committee and replicating the digital initiatives of ICAI

South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), which is an Apex body of SAARC and an Acknowledged Accountancy Grouping of International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in its recent Board meeting held on May 11, 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal has decided to constitute a SAFA Women Empowerment Committee on the recommendations of CA. Naveen N. D. Gupta, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). CA. Naveen N.D. Gupta is representing ICAI on the Board of SAFA.

CA. Gupta while sharing the details of the various courses/programmes designed by ICAI to provide technical knowledge to the women members by keeping them abreast with the latest amendments taking place in the profession had suggested to constitute an exclusive women Committee at SAFA level. He added that one of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 is addressing the Gender Gap which is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance. The SAFA Board unanimously accepted the proposal of ICAI and decided to constitute SAFA Women Empowerment Committee for the women members of the SAFA Region.

India represents more than 90% of female professional accountants of the SAARC Region and this new Committee of SAFA will conceive, formulate and implement plans, policies and programmes for development of Women Members in the SAARC Region.

In another important decision; the Board has agreed with the recommendation of President, ICAI to replicate the survey undertaken by the Digital Accounting and Assurance Board of ICAI for sharing the views on the emerging profile of Chartered Accountant professionals in a digitally driven era and its impact on Accounting and Assurance. The Board has also decided to adopt and promote Digital Competency Maturity Model (DCMM) of ICAI for Professional Accounting Firms amongst the SAFA member bodies. DCMM is an endeavour to provide a set of minimum requirements which the firms can evaluate on a self-assessment basis and build a strategy for up skilling, to leverage the opportunities which will unfold in the digital era.

About SAFA

South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) is an Apex Body of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) and an Acknowledged Accountancy Grouping of IFAC. SAFA comprises of ten accountancy bodies in South-Asian Region namely India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan. Bhutan and Maldives, where no accountancy body exists, has been given an Observer status. SAFA has undertaken the leadership role in providing a new direction to the accountancy profession within the region and this Apex body has nearly 375,000 members affiliated with its member bodies. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is one of the founder members of SAFA and also hosts its Permanent Secretariat at New Delhi.