01. Description

The Maldives Accountants Forum (MAF) 2018 hosted by the Auditor General’s Office was inaugurated on July 2, 2018 by the Minister of Economic Development, Mr. Mohamed Saeed. The inaugural session of the MAF attended by professional accountants, expert panelists, members of staff of the Auditor General’s Office, industry experts and special invitees was held at Hotel Jen, Male’. Notable among the attendees gracing the opening ceremony was Dr. In-Ki Joo, Deputy President of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

Held in 2017 for the first time, the MAF is an initiative of the Auditor General’s Office. The forum has since become an annual event which brings together the auditors, professional accountants, industry experts and regulators to discuss and deliberate on matters of mutual interest with the aim of creating a better understanding and trust among key stakeholders.

Speaking at the forum, the Attorney General, Hon. Hassan Ziyath stated that the forum was initially held last year with the intention of creating a national platform for accounting professionals and auditors to share stage with industry stakeholders and professional experts. “The purpose of this Forum is to protect and promote the interest of accounting professionals, explore further avenues for develop and engagement with our stakeholders and community”, the AG added.

Mr. Mohamed Ali Janah addressed the forum by giving a presentation on "Stakeholder Expectation". His presentation outlined all stakeholder groups and their expectations, provided key insights and statistical highlights for the past years. Mr. Janah also highlighted some notable infrastructure projects which are in development and notable resorts in development. He also explained the importance of strong, reliable and efficient finance staff at every organization.

The theme of MAF 2018 is “Adding Value & Impacting Lives”. The MAF 2018 was held from July 2 - July 5, 2018. The three days of technical sessions were held at the Auditorium of the Auditor General’s Office.