Dear members,
Kung Hei Fat Choi! Wishing you and your families a prosperous year of the dog. I hope you were able to spend some relaxing time with your families over the Chinese New Year period, a time to reflect on the importance of family and prepare for the challenges and opportunities we will face over the coming year. At the Institute, we celebrated with the annual Spring Cocktail and I want to thank those of you who attended the event and supported the Institute.
A new year brings new developments for the Institute, and I am pleased to say that the Institute is to embark on a journey to upgrade its digital services. This new Digital Strategy Plan will improve the web presence and digital communications of the Institute and move us into the smartphone age with responsive and dynamic content. I hope to share more about the Institute’s digital transformation in the coming months.
Some of our members spent the last year preparing for their future careers by studying for the Institute’s Financial Controllership Programme (FCP), the graduation ceremony of which I attended with the Vice Presidents and Council members. This was the first official run of the FCP, after its trial in 2016. It is good to see CPAs taking an interest in their careers and personal development, and we had the opportunity to hear from some awards winners about how the FCP has helped them develop the skills they need in business – truly Accountants Plus.
On a related note, A Plus features some high-flying young CFOs, as part of a new series highlighting high-flying members under the age of 35. I hope you enjoy reading about their career paths and achievements here.
“A new year brings new developments for the Institute, and I am pleased to say that the Institute is to embark on a journey to upgrade its digital services.”
The Institute had the honour of co-hosting a dinner with the IFRS Foundation at the end of January. The event, “Hong Kong and IFRS Standards: Past, Present and Future”, highlighted the importance of continuing our diligent work with representatives from across the world in developing standards that work for all. The dinner also involved a panel discussion on the importance of an internationally agreed upon standards environment for practitioners, investors and regulators. You can find a video of the panel on the Institute’s YouTube page (thehkicpa).
A Plus this month also interviewed some innovative companies in Hong Kong to learn about the policies that the government currently uses to support research and development in companies – and what further steps the government should take to support innovation. Read more here.
Finally, the Institute is hosting an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 2 March to consider three matters. This EGM provides an opportunity for members to have their voices heard on important Institute matters and I hope you will take the time to attend. As a membership organization we must ensure that we are working in the best interests of all, and your continued involvement in determining the future path is vital in ensuring that this is the case. Please check the website for important information and updates about the EGM.
Eric Tong
President
