Accountants are more than 'bean-counters'

Opening the conference of the SA Institute of Professional Accountants (Saipa) in Johannesburg ‚ Gordhan stressed the importance of professional accountants in the social and economic enviroment of the global economy.

Gordhan said accountants were important to economies as they were "catalysts for change" and needed to help with important decisions affecting the South African economy.

"The financial crisis raises questions about sustainability of the world's current path to development. Just because conditions appear to be okay now‚ it doesn't mean they will remain that way in the years ahead‚" he said.

"Historically accountants provided information to shareholders but their role has now extended to informing people in labour‚ government‚ the banking sector‚ regulators and general society‚" he said.

Gordhan highlighted a lack of accountants‚ particularly black accountants‚ as a challenge and urged those in the field to make work opportunities more accessible for unemployed graduates.

"It is important that we give unemployed graduates in accounting an opportunity to gain work experience.

"Research has shown that young people who are not given that opportunity by the ages of 24 and 25 find it more difficult to get work later on in life‚" he said.

"Much has been done to grow the pool of accountants but more still needs to be done. Accountants of the past generation must go the extra mile to give unemployed graduates exposure to work experience to end the frustration of joblessness‚" he added.