The 100th AFA Council Meeting, 23 – 24 April 2010, Bangkok Thailand

The ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA) reached a new landmark in its long history by holding their 100th Council Meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand recently. The Meeting was held from 23 – 24 April 2010 at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit and was hosted by the Federation of Accounting Professions (FAP) of Thailand.

Prior to the meeting a Strategic Planning session was held to give a chance for the AFA Members to discuss the direction that AFA, as an organisation, would be taking in the coming years. Participants at the Session agreed to focus on two key strategic thrusts for AFA namely Capacity Building for its Members and Advocacy with Key Stakeholders. Members present also discussed on the implementation aspect of these two Strategic thrusts.

The AFA Strategic Planning Session in progress

The AFA Council Meeting was held the next day on 24 April 2010 witnessed the next formal handing over of the AFA Presidency from Pengiran Haji Moksin from Brunei to Abdul Rahim Hamid of Malaysia.

Pengiran Haji Moksin (left) handing over the AFA Presidency to Abdul Rahim

In his farewell address, Pengiran thanked the AFA member bodies for the support they had given him for the last two years and hoped that under the leadership of Abdul Rahim the AFA as a regional organization will continue to grow and enhanced at a faster rate.

In assuming office Abdul Rahim thanked Pengiran for his leadership for the past two years and hoped that he would be able to make positive changes to AFA during his tenure with the help of fellow AFA member bodies.

At the meeting, the member bodies further deliberated on the implementation plans for the AFA strategic thrusts. Copies of 2 of AFA recently completed projects namely the Easy Guide in Setting Up Accountancy Practices in ASEAN Countries and the AFA 2009 Annual Report was circulated at the meeting. The AFA Council also approved the Criteria and Guidelines for AFA Associate Membership to be adopted for any new application of AFA Associate membership.