Association of Accounting Technicians of Sri Lanka (AAT) successfully hosted a full day workshop and the certificate awarding ceremony for its Members in Practice (MIP) recently at the Auditorium of Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian & Research Institute. Around 150 MIPs who are in the practice of accounting, tax and other business consultancy participated for this event. The main objective of this workshop was to educate the members on the scope of practice, the challenges and opportunities available for practitioners. This is the first time of AAT’s history to award certificates for their MIPs which is in line with the initiative to standardize and regularized the practice of MIPs of their development.

The workshop started in the morning with key presentation delivered by Prof. Rohana Kuruppu, Chief Executive Officer, Brandix College of Clothing Technology on “How to be an Effective Practitioner”. The event was then followed by two panel discussions. First discussion was about “Exposing the practitioners to industry and exploring opportunities” which was moderated by Mr Kumar Mayadunne, Banking Consultant. The panel members were Mr Chalana Amarasinghe, Deputy Director, Trade Facilitation and Trade Information, Export Development Board, Mr Hemal C. Lokugeegana, Deputy General Manager / Chief Risk Officer, Sanasa Development Bank and Mr Suranga Karunarathna, Relationship Manager- SME, Hatton National Bank.

Second panel discussion was about “Technical requirements for practitioners” which was moderated by Mr Lakshman Abeysekara, Member of AAT Governing Council, and Chairman of the Membership Committee. Mr. Sunil Wanigabadu, Secretary, AAT Sri Lanka and Mr. Jagath Perera, Member of the Governing Council of AAT Sri Lanka discussed about the Scope of MIPs, challenges & requirements to proceed, FAQs by MIPs, Quality assurance, compliance, Code of Ethics and development of MIPs. Mr Ranjith Hapuarachchi, Senior Commissioner, Tax Policy, International Affairs and Secretariat, Department of Inland Revenue joined with the panel to discuss about the “Recognition and opportunities for Approved Accountants & Authorized Representatives” while Mr T Dharmarajah, Partner, Amarasekara & Company, Past President, AAT Sri Lanka deliberated on the “Importance and application of Technical know-how of an MIP & required Technical Competencies”.

The workshop has been very fruitful and interactive, and been well received by all the MIPs. Certificate awarding ceremony for the MIPs was held in the evening with the participation of Mr Nadun Guruge, Acting Commissioner General of the Department of Inland Revenue as the Chief Guest and the president and the members of the governing council of AAT Sri Lanka. There are two types of Members in Practice namely the Fellow Members who are eligible to act as Approved Accountants for Inland Revenue purposes and undertake any other accountancy / consultancy service other than statutory audits. The other type of MIP category is those are eligible to undertake any accountancy / consultancy service other than statutory audits but not eligible to act as Approved Accountants for Inland Revenue purposes.