The Institute of Management Accountant (IMA) – Qatar Chapter will continue holding seminars to provide a forum for research, practice development, education, and knowledge-sharing for its members.
IMA-Qatar president Ez Tabra told Gulf Times that they want to give all its members the “best-in-class professional certification” through the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) programme.
Since it is free of charge, Tabra urged all their members to attend the IMA-Qatar seminars. He said it aims to constantly raise the level of their skills which can open doors to a stable and high paying job in the future.
He disclosed that since October 2012, the organisation has been holding events to persuade accountants to pursue continuing education especially those who are working in Qatar.
IMA-Qatar recently held a professional ethics seminar during the oath-taking for new certified public accountants on February 14 at Copthorne hotel in Doha. A few days later, it also held a ‘Withholding Tax’ seminar which focused on the details of Law 21 of 2009.
“It addressed the relevant regulations, circulars and definitions that are relevant to the implementation of withholding tax within the State of Qatar,” said Tabra, who was recently appointed as director of the Governance Committee and the Nomination Committee of the IMA Global Board. Part of his duties is to regularly attend conferences and meetings in the United States.
One of the highlights of the tax seminar is the awarding of a scholarship (from Morgan International) grant to one of CMA-Qatar members. Among the resource speakers were Rami Qudah, a CPA and tax manager; and Caroline Stuart, CTA.
It has 66,000 members in 130 countries, and 507 members in Qatar. It is also one of the 200 chapters worldwide affiliated in the US main office.
Established in April 2012, Tabra said the current board is focusing on establishing partnerships with different organisations that share similar goals and objectives.
These include Morgan International, Deloitte, Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA), Carnegie Mellon University, Zurich International, Al-Jazeera Network, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and others.
He also said that they are planning to hold seminars on quality management systems and corporate management this year. “We want to do these every year.”
IMA-Qatar invites known local speakers during seminars to give its members updates on management accounting.
Tabra said those who regularly attend seminars earn “approved Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits”, which is required to be a CMA.
It also serves as a forum for informal discussions with peers where members can share work-related experiences and challenges. He added that solutions can be formulated from instant feedbacks during the activity.
“These events promote a free flow of ideas and permits tailoring of the technical presentation to the needs of a particular group,” said Tabra, adding that these activities give members the chance to meet new friends and socialise with their peers in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.
He stressed that “this setting can lead to mutual help–one member’s experience provides the answer to another’s problem–and promotes an easier exchange of ideas among members in different areas of the accounting field.”
IMA-Qatar’s seminars and events are free of charge for members.
Richard Ali, secretary of IMA-Qatar, said several volunteer-members are helping them.
“They do this on a voluntary non-compensated basis as part of their professional responsibility and commitment to the IMA and the accounting profession,” said Ali.
In a bid to better serve its 507 members and around 300 prospective members, Tabra announced that they will hold an election next month to fill various board positions. The present board held their first meeting on May 9, 2012 and had set their objectives and goals.
Founded in Buffalo, New York in 1919 as the National Association of Cost Accountants (NACA), IMA aims to promote knowledge and professionalism among accountants and foster a wider understanding of the role of cost accounting in management.
Tabra has expressed optimism that 2013 will be a good year for IMA-Qatar. “We see further growth and more activities for our members in Qatar.”
Ez Tabra and IMA-Qatar secretary Richard Ali join other officers.
