10 Reasons to study for the ACCA

1. Cost-effective

A cost effective and efficient way to increase knowledge and professionalism. Candidates not only gain specialist knowledge in finance and accounting, but also acquire valuable skills in organisational management and strategy. It therefore increases the career prospects of the employee and reduces the training costs of the employer.

2. Comprehensive

Comprehensively covers the technical and management skills accountants are expected to master. Refined for 2007, the ACCA Qualification will help achieve the range of competences required in a finance team. The ACCA syllabus is a comprehensive program in financial management skills.

The ACCA Qualification takes the candidate to advanced levels in a variety of subjects such as:
* Management Decision Making
* Financial Reporting
* Financial Strategies.

The ACCA Qualification is not just theory - the exams are practical case studies.

3. Effective in finding business solutions

Organisations benefit from having accountancy professionals who understand the financial needs of business and who can evaluate and present effective business solutions.

The qualification equips finance professionals with knowledge and skills which are diverse yet dynamic - the curriculum includes tax, audit and business law as well as the core accountancy subjects.

4. Measure of competence

The ACCA combines the benefits of traditional accounting skills with a wide ranging and forward looking syllabus, which recognises that finance professionals are increasingly required to demonstrate strategic thinking, excellent communication skills, people skills and fluency with information technology.

5. Flexible

The ACCA Qualification has flexible entry requirements, and offers flexible study options, enabling studies to be planned around business needs.

6. Practical Experience

One of the requirements of the ACCA program is practical experience, because the ACCA realises that employers require an increased focus on an individual’s workplace performance.

7. Based on International standards

The Qualification is based on international accounting and auditing standards and is IFAC compliant

8. Truly Global

The ACCA is the only truly global accountancy qualification with members in 170 countries. A global program that tracks the needs of industry and employers .

9. Recognition worldwide

The ACCA has achieved strong recognition worldwide by building relationships with influential organisations including:
* local and multinational companies
* accounting bodies
* educational institutions
* governments
* entities such as the United Nations and the World Bank.

10. Professional status

Globally, employers and business partners understand and respect the qualification. ACCA members are in demand for their finance and accounting knowledge and skills worldwide...

The World in 2030: pressure on resources and a completely new approach to global business

The World in 2030: pressure on resources and a
completely new approach to global business
New ACCA report collates expert opinion on what our world will look
like in 20 years time

The world in 2030 will be a startlingly different place, with a
'flattening' of the economic landscape and a more genuinely global
market place, according to a new report from ACCA (the Association of
Chartered Certified Accountants), in collaboration with the strategic
research and consulting group Lighthouse Global.

The report, Where next for the global economy? A view of the world in
2030, collates predictions from 15 global experts in business,
economics, and accountancy. Covering areas such as the future global
power, the future of the earth's resources, and the future of the
corporate eco-system, the paper sees the world turned completely on
its head in 2030.

"Distracted by the powerful effects of the global financial crisis,
commentators, politicians, and economists have recently been focusing
on the short term; it's important that the longer term isn't
forgotten", says Mr Arif Masud Mirza, Head of ACCA Pakistan.

Mr Mirza adds: "In 2030, the world could be facing intense pressure on
resources, a big shift in global power, and a completely different way
of doing global business. These aren't things that we can just deal
with when they crop up. We need to start thinking about tomorrow
today.

"As a wide-ranging collection of insights, covering a wide array of
scenarios and possibilities, the report is designed to encourage
people to think about how their actions today will affect the world
tomorrow. We're sharing our panel's ideas and perspectives to provide
accountants and business with new thinking to help them make decision
based on the insights of those at the forefront of debate."

The report looks at the future of: the distribution of global power;
the earth's resources; financial markets; the corporate world; and the
future of government. Among the predictions made by ACCA's panel are
the following:

1. Some of today's biggest companies are likely to de-conglomerate
by 2030, outsourcing almost all central functions to achieve
efficiency. 'Federations of businesses' will be the corporations of
tomorrow. Strong virtual ties will connect increasingly specialist and
remote businesses, located in increasingly specialised regions and
cities. Small businesses will act like shoals of fish, becoming a
strong global force in the global environment.
2. With the world's population growing and with resources heading
in the opposite direction, there could be severe pressure on access to
oil, gas, or water. Food will be limited too, leading to increasing
elements of nationalism in discussions about resources.
3. The world will be made 'flatter' as a result of globalisation.
This could lead to a shift in global influence to the East. The East
won't be the next big thing; it will be the big thing. One of the
report's contributors, Nenad Pacek, the president of Global Success
Advisors, says: "The business world will be astonished by the rise of
new companies from emerging markets. At how powerful they will become.
They should not be underestimated in any way."

The predictions made in the report come from experts including: the
economist Andrew Dilnot, former director of the Institute of Fiscal
Studies, now principal of St Hugh's College Oxford; Chin Kwai Fatt,
the managing director of PwC Malaysia; Loughlin Hickey, KPMG's global
head of tax; Tony Hegarty, chief financial management officer at the
World Bank; and Professor Saul Estrin from the London School of
Economics.