ASEAN Federation of Accountants’ Courtesy Call to the ASEAN Secretariat

The AFA delegation in the discussion with Ms Yap Lai Peng,
Deputy Director Services, Investment and Enterprise Unit, Directorate
for Economic Integrationand Finance ASEAN (3rd from left)

In conjunction with the Developing Nations Committee (DNC) meeting in Jakarta recently, the ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA) also took the opportunity to pay a courtesy call to the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.

As a Recognised Civil Society Organisation (CSO) under ASEAN, the objective of the visit was to foster closer working relationship between AFA and its parent body, ASEAN as well to explore the manner on how AFA as body could play a more active role in realising ASEAN’s aspiration for the ASEAN Economic Community by the year 2015.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok with the aims and purposes to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

The AFA delegation was headed by the Vice-President, Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff together with AFA Immediate Past president, Mr Ahmadi Hadibroto and AFA Council Member, Prof Dr Djoko Susanto. At the ASEAN Secretariat, the AFA delegation were received by the representatives from the Services, Investment and Enterprise Unit, Directorate for Economic Integration and Finance of the ASEAN Secretariat headed by its Deputy Director, Ms Yap Lai Peng.

During the dialogue, the AFA Vice President gave a short presentation on the history and background of AFA, its four year Strategic and Operational plan as well as its Operational Plan and planned activities for 2009. In welcoming the AFA delegation, Ms Yap remarked that the visit was done at an opportune time as the ASEAN is looking at engagement with the private and business sectors in ASEAN as one of their priorities in realising the target of ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

The AFA delegation at the ASEAN Secretariat Building

During the meeting both parties also discussed on how both AFA could play a more direct role and contribute towards the ASEAN liberalisation process being handled by the ASEAN Coordinating Committee in Services (CCS) as well as other areas other to support ASEAN’s aspirations.

Among the possible areas discussed and agreed that AFA could contribute positively upon is on facilitating Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) among the ASEAN member states, Developing an ASEAN standards particularly in the area of Shariah Accounting Standards, and Compilation of Domestic Regulations for the ASEAN Accountancy Services Sectors to assist the CCS in accelerating the service liberalisation in the region.