Mauritius is poised to play host to yet another financial extravaganza, the 3rd Africa Congress of Accountants, from 12th to 14th May 2015.

The event, organized by the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants (MIPA), is slated to be held at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre (SVICC), Pailles.

Accordingly, a pre-launch presentation was held on Friday, June 20, by the MIPA and its partners in the presence of Vickson Ncube, CEO of the Pan-African Federation of Accountants (PAFA), and Arvin Boolell, Mauritius Foreign Affairs Minister, at the Intercontinental Hotel, Balaclava, Mauritius.

The conference seeks to bring together 1,500 accountants from 35 African countries, including Mauritius, to discuss issues facing the accounting profession in Africa.

Vickson Ncube unveiled the main theme of the 3rd Africa Congress of Accountants, 2015, “Rising Africa: Partnering for Results,” noting that the conference would present a great opportunity to prove that Africa is synonymous with success and growth.

For his part, Arvin Boolell argued the importance of sharing a common vision and ambition for Africa.

Influential leaders of the accounting and financial sectors as well as African heads of major international accounting associations (IFAC, ACCA, ICAEW, CIMA etc) will meet in Mauritius under the aegis of this summit.

The Africa Congress of Accountants (ACOA) was established in 2011 and was held in Kenya in 2011 and Ghana in 2013.

“This is the first time that the Congress is being organized outside the African continent. It is an honor for our institution and our country,” said Bheem Ramruttan, Chief Executive of MIPA.

Clifford To, Chairman on the Board of MIPA, said, “This conference will give us visibility at all levels – local, regional and international.”

“Together we will shape the future of the profession on the African continent,” he stated.

The 3rd Africa Congress of Accountants 2015 is already seeing interest among the local practitioners of the profession.

The leaders of the Big Four accounting firms described their vision for Africa.

André Bonnieux, Country Senior Partner of PwC said, “Accountants have an important role to play in Africa’s growth. At PwC, African integration is already a reality.”

“The PwC Africa structure, created over a year ago, represents an important transformation for us. Today, we operate as a single entity, a single African firm,” he noted.

Jean Claude Liong, Senior Partner at KPMG, said, “We are all interested in Africa and Mauritius is well positioned to support development in Africa.”

“We have the largest per capita number of qualified accountants. Thus, we can help Africa to regain the confidence of investors. Hosting the 3rd Africa Congress of Accountants 2015 in Mauritius is good news for our profession and will help promote the country as an International Financial Centre,” he added.

Jacques du Mée, Managing Partner of Deloitte, said, “Deloitte is well positioned on the continent to facilitate trade between Africa and Asia, for instance. We are present in 34 countries and offer our services to 51 countries in Africa.”

“A strong accounting profession can support good governance in Africa, which is a key element in attracting investment. Africa is a land of opportunities and accountants must participate in ACOA 2015. This is the time for Africa,” he added.

Gerald Lincoln, Managing Partner of EY, said, “In Africa, qualified accountants are as important as access to finance, as we work upstream in any investment project, whether for a feasibility study or research capital.”

“Investors need to know they can trust the numbers and reports presented to them. This conference is an opportunity to showcase our skills not only in Africa but worldwide,” he concluded.

Image (MIPA): Bheem Ramruttan, CEO, Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants (MIPA), Vickson Ncube, CEO of the Pan-African Federation of Accountants, and Clifford To, MIPA Chairman (L to R), at a pre-launch presentation held to unveil the theme of the conference “Rising Africa: Partnering for Results”.

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