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The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has launched Accounting Technician Certificate Course in India on Dec 10, 2008. Similarly ICWAI has launched its own course.The publicity in the press about the Accounting Technician Course by ICAI.

Business Standard Dec 9, 2008

The institute of chartered accountants of India (ICAI), to fulfill the demand for trained accounting professionals and to support chartered accountants (CAs), is launching a new course for the second tier accountants or the accounting technicians.

India Edu News Dec 10, 2008

The Accounting Technicians would not only fill the gaps at the operational level, but would also ensure that the value chain in the accounting process does not suffer.

With the launch of this course, students who have enrolled for the CA course, but for some reasons are not able to complete the course would have an option of becoming an Accounting Technician.

However at the same time, there is a scope for them to acquire CA qualification even after qualifying the Accounting Technician Course.

That’s the positive side of the news.

Read further….

“People who have qualified intermediate exams and have completed three to five years of articleship, but couldn’t become CAs would be eligible for this one year course.”

“With the launch of this course, students who have enrolled for the CA course, but for some reasons are not able to complete the course would have an option of becoming an Accounting Technician.

However at the same time, there is a scope for them to acquire CA qualification even after qualifying the Accounting Technician Course.”

Check the application form on the ICAI website

This is to inform that as per amendment carried to the regulations vide notification dt 3rd December,2008 all such students who have passed either PE-II or Intermediate Exam and has completed the article training are eligible for grant of Accounting Technician Certificate on making an application . Accordingly all such eligible person are requested to make such application.

I believe it is an unethical way to convert the students who did not pass the flagship courses of ICAI to become a Accounting Technician. When anyone starts pursuing a professional qualification, he/she aspires to become a professional accountant. If he does not pass the exams, then this does not make him/her eligible to become a technician. A backward progression !!!

How CAT Technician progresses to become ACCA qualified Accountant in UK ?

“Whether you wish to start a career in finance, gain recognition for the wealth of skills and experience you have already achieved, or want accelerated progression to the ACCA Qualification and a more senior position in accountancy, ACCA’s Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) qualification will help you towards your career of choice.” Details here.

“Once you have completed all of the Certified Accounting Technician exams, you will automatically be transferred onto the ACCA Qualification and be awarded exemptions from the Part 1 papers 1.1–1.3 of the current syllabus (examined up until June 2007) or Papers F1–F3 on the new syllabus (examined from December 2007), unless you indicated on your registration form that you did not wish this transfer to be effected.” Details here

No such exemptions is spelt out for those who pass as Accounting Technician and want to pursue further professional qualification like CA or ICWA in India. This clearly indicates that such courses are beneficial more to the Institutes rather than students.

Ramesh Joshi, Practising Cost Accountant says

“ICAI has its core competency in Financial Accounting. Their efforts are it is heard, more with the objective to ensure “Articled Students” for practicing CAs. they are finding it difficult to get them. That is the reason they also lowered their entry level……… And all said and done, it is in their own core competency area…….. In ICAI we don’t hear the financial gain as a major factor, for them it is more in the nature of supporting their Members in Practice.”

Just look at the stipend an articled clerk gets for three years of articleship. A guess - 90% will never become a Chartered Accountant. ( I have never seen ICAI publish the exam passing rates on the website or their journal - a case of non disclosure. A hearsay the pass percentage is 2 %).

Regards,

Santosh Puthran

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Yesterday I was browsing Management Accountants on Spock to know whether there any celebrity accountant in the list. I found Mr. Praveen Kadle, Managing Director of Tata Capital Ltd, a newly formed company of Tata Group.

I got a very thoughtful greeting on the New Year. I would like to share it with you:

Life is like having a cup of tea.
You sit by the side of the window, lift the cup and take a careless sip,
Only to realize, somebody forgot to put the sugar.
Too lazy to go for it you somehow struggle through the sugarless cup.
Until you discover un-dissolved sugar crystals sitting at the bottom…

The last line really stirred me. My new year resolutions would be to

1. Stir Management Accountants to aspire like Dr D K Sarraf
2. Stir Management Accountants to participate in discussions and share their knowledge on their blogs.
3. Stir Management Accountants in practice to their own website.
4. Stir Management Accountants to become IT savvy - organise their calendar, address book, google reader, stumbleupon and bookmarks on the internet.
5. Stir Management Accountants to plan and travel around the globe for business and pleasure.

Is there anything more? Then I would like you to stir me up! You know where to post your comments .

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Regards,

Santosh Puthran

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