Talal Abu-Ghazaleh: Jordan Welcomes ASCA to be Headquartered in Amman
21 May 1984AMMAN – Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of the Arab Society of Certified Accountants (ASCA), announced that the Jordanian government had notified him in a written memo of its official recognition of ASCA as a professional scientific institution that aims to develop Arab skills and the enablement of practicing the accounting and auditing professions in accordance with the highest vocational standards in the developed world.
In a statement to ‘Addustour’, he said that the Jordanian government had expressed its willingness to support ASCA with Amman as its headquarters.
Abu-Ghazaleh expressed his thanks and appreciation for this generous step taken by officials in the Jordanian government, which indicated the awareness and wisdom of the Jordanian leadership, per Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh.
He pointed out that the society members who start their meetings in Amman today will meet with His Royal Highness Prince Hasan, the Regent of His Majesty the King and Crown Prince, to listen to his guidance. Additionally, they will also meet with the Prime Minister Mr. Ahmad Obeidat.
He elaborated that Dr. Jawad Alanani the Minister of Industry and Trade will participate in the opening session of the society’s activities today.
As for the reasons the society was registered in Britain, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh said that “Britain is a professional location that enjoys stature and acceptance at an international level. So we wanted for our society at its start to be in a professional environment which gives it the confidence and momentum for international recognition, because without obtaining professional recognition for our society or any Arab society, we will be unable to catch up with the developed nations in this area. So we would not be able to serve and assist our sons and daughters that graduate from this society. This means that if we graduate a generation that carries degrees not recognized by the world, and degrees which are not appreciated or valued by the rest of the world, we would have fallen short in our duty towards our youth, as we have created this society primarily for them and their qualification and training.”
He added: “The most important thing we achieved is technical affiliation with the British Association of Chartered Accountants, which is one of the oldest and most important accounting societies in the world.”
He pointed out that the arrangements being conducted with the association right now are for creating programs for common exams and utilizing their expertise both in Britain and abroad in preparing examination programs and developing technical programs. “Therefore, we wanted to be close to achieve closer cooperation, and so that through common programs we could gain recognition for our certificates and members in the British association, and so that there will be mutual recognition between the Arab society and the British one. This is considered a big accomplishment for the profession.” he said.
As for the significance of creating the society, he said: “There is no Arab institution that qualifies accountants to become certified. We get graduates coming to accounting offices who are only narrowly technically qualified in accounting and auditing principles. Working as a certified accountant requires further experience, training, studies, and special programs that are only ensured by accounting societies worldwide.
As for the other source besides university graduates, it is represented in the members of American or British accounting societies, and qualification of these members based on programs and regulations in foreign countries. So they will be practicing in an environment that they didn’t study or train in.”
He added: “Our objective now is to create a testing, vocational and training capability that is specialized in our laws and systems in Arab countries so that the certified accountant can practice in the region that he studied and trained in.”
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh admitted that the creation of the society came at a late time despite the desperate need for it to regulate and develop the accounting profession in the Arab region. He stated that: “We fell short in this critical area. We do not blame Arab governments for this, but blame ourselves; we who work in this vocation as certified accountants and professionals.”
He clarified that Arab governments in general responded positively and welcomed the idea of creating the society, and that establishing branches for it in Arab countries will be a topic of discussion at the meetings today in Amman.
Abu-Ghazaleh emphasized that Arab leaderships are aware of the significance of creating the society in order to fill a gap in an important sector of daily Arab life, mentioning that letters of support were received and no objections at all were raised against this society, adding that these official letters of support complimented the support received from the private sector.
Elaborating further, he said: “We do not want to represent the profession in the Arab region nor do we claim to do so. Nor do we want to interfere in the way certified accountants are licensed. Rather we are just like any professional society that has begun to put programs in place and develop them in order to develop skills. We welcome any participation to support this constructive trend, although we are well aware of the many issues and obstacles. Yet the important thing is to continue to push and move forward in order to advance the vocation of certified accountants in the Arab world.”
Abu-Ghazaleh asserted that “the creation of the Arab Society is considered the most important event in the history of the profession, and much work at this level will be the subject of discussion and criticism, and this is a healthy phenomenon, and we welcome any opinion that will assist us in our march, to stay up to date with what the rest of the world has reached.” He added that there is no way we can disregard the guidance of officials in the vast Arab world, in addition to those of concerned parties and businessmen who helped found the society.
He said the opportunity is still open for people to join the ASCA board of directors and that “we are currently in touch with three very skillful members in the Arab world in the areas of accounting and auditing to join the board. This will be a big boost for the society and the board.”
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh praised the guidance and support of officials in Jordan and their keenness in advancing certified accountancy.
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