Latest news with #Accountant
Business Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
More seeking accountancy qualification in Singapore, even as global talent shortage continues
[SINGAPORE] Even as accounting bodies worldwide continue to struggle with attracting fresh talent, Singapore has managed to buck the trend – and the industry here is now in growth mode. With more new faces entering the profession, accounting firms in the city-state could soon get relief from the manpower shortages that have plagued the sector for years. Teo Ser Luck, president of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (Isca), pointed to a sharp rise in the number of candidates entering the training pipeline as an example. As at Dec 31, 2024, the total number of candidates enrolled in the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ) programme crossed 4,200 – a 47 per cent increase from the overall enrolment figure a year earlier. Isca has now set an internal target of exceeding 7,000 total SCAQ candidates in 2025, which would mark a 75 per cent year-on-year jump. The SCAQ, administered by Isca since January 2024, is the sole pathway to obtaining the Chartered Accountant (Singapore) qualification. Universities in Singapore are also seeing stronger interest in accountancy, observed Teo. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Anecdotally, some universities noted that, in their most recent admissions, 100 per cent of successful applicants had picked accountancy as their first-choice degree – a development that contrasts with the situation in recent years. Teo did not name the institutions. Out of the six autonomous universities in Singapore, five offer accountancy courses. Among them is the Singapore Institute of Technology. The university has recorded a more than 30 per cent rise in applications for its accountancy course over the past three years, and a 74.5 per cent increase in its programme intake in the last decade, said Associate Professor Koh Sze Kee, cluster director for business, communication and design. 'Alongside this growing demand, we continue to attract and admit a strong pool of students with high academic standing and a clear aptitude and passion for accountancy,' noted Prof Koh. Just last year, a report by the Accountancy Workforce Review Committee (AWRC) found that fewer students had been choosing accountancy as their top choice, although specific numbers were not disclosed. The AWRC was formed in 2022 to tackle manpower issues in the sector. Since then, recommendations such as boosting entry-level wages and creating more diverse qualification pathways have been adopted. Teo said that these moves – along with the combined efforts of Isca, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra), educational institutions, and industry players – have helped reverse the talent decline. Interest is also rising at the pre-university level. A representative from Temasek Polytechnic (TP), speaking at an Acra event last Tuesday (May 27), shared that its diploma in accountancy and finance programme has been attracting more first-choice applications. 'In terms of the last aggregate score, it has also improved across the years from five to 11, to four to 11, to three to 11 (in 2025),' the TP representative said. These aggregate scores refer to the O-level results of successful applicants, where lower scores indicate better performance. International plaudits Singapore's success in replenishing its accounting pipeline has not gone unnoticed internationally. 'I certainly have encouraged other parts of the globe to learn (from) what Singapore has been doing here,' said Lee White, chief executive officer of the International Federation of Accountants, in a recent interview with The Business Times. For instance, recent initiatives by Isca to engage pre-tertiary students in secondary schools, junior colleges and polytechnics are a 'simple, contemporary way' to tackle the sector's manpower challenges, noted White. He added: 'The way this is all marketed by Isca is very, very strong.' But Teo cautioned that this progress cannot be taken for granted. 'We have reversed the trend, but it's still a very long journey,' he warned. 'The trend, (at) anytime, can be reversed.' Some gaps remain. While perceptions that accountancy is a 'boring' career have improved 'slightly', more can be done to feature the profession's diversity. 'We need to do more; seeding that knowledge and the information needs a lot more work,' Teo said. He also wants to further expand the pool by encouraging more non-accounting graduates to qualify, and for closer rapport with businesses, to demonstrate the value of hiring accounting-trained staff. He also advised accountants not to look at their role and say they are 'just another finance person in the company'. 'You should also be (positioned as) a strategic person,... a right-hand person.'
News18
11-05-2025
- Business
- News18
ICAI CA May 2025 Exams: Revised Schedule Released For Inter, Final Courses; Check Details
Last Updated: The exams which were scheduled to be held from May 9 to May 14 will now take place from May 16 to 24, as per the official notice by ICAI. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) had earlier postponed the ongoing Chartered Accountant Final, Inter and Post Qualification Course Examinations (INTT AT) amid the soaring tensions between India and Pakistan. The institute has announced the revised date sheet now. The exams which were scheduled to be held from May 9 to May 14 will now take place from May 16 to 24, as per the official notice. 'In continuation to the Institute's Important Announcement No. 13-CA (EXAM)/2025 dated 13th January 2025 read with Important Announcement No. 13-CA (EXAM)/2025/II dated 8th May 2025 it is hereby announced for general information that in view of the favourable developments in the security situations in the country; it has now been decided that the Chartered Accountants Final, Intermediate and INTT-AT (PQC) examinations earlier scheduled from 9th May 2025 to 14th May 2025 will now be held from 16th May 2025 to 24th May 2025…," read the official notice by ICAI. Admit Cards already issued would remain valid for the rescheduled dates. The ICAI has announced that there would be no change in the exam schedule in the event of any public or local holiday announced by the government. ICAI CA May 2025 Exams: Revised Schedule The CA Final Group I exams were held on May 2, 4, and 6, while the Group II exams were scheduled to take place on May 8, 10, and 13. Similarly, the ICAI CA Intermediate Group I exams were conducted between May 3 to May 7 however, the Group II exam which were scheduled to be held on May 9, 11, and 14, have been postponed. As per ICAI's passing criteria, candidates need to score at least 40 per cent in each paper. To pass, they must have an overall score of 55 per cent in the Foundation exam and 50 per cent in the Intermediate exam. First Published: May 11, 2025, 12:10 IST
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ben Affleck Was Surprisingly Funny In The Accountant 2, And I Want More
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Ben Affleck has had a wildly successful career in film as an actor, director, producer, and writer. The Oscar winner recently celebrated the release of The Accountant 2, a follow-up to the 2016 original (which is streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription). I thought he was pretty hilarious as protagonist Christian Wolff, and now I honestly want to see him in more roles that let him flex those comedic muscles. Rather than a sequel no one asked for, fans have been calling for The Accountant 2 for years. This is largely thanks to Affleck's charming performance as Christian, a deadly, autistic accountant who gets involved in wild adventures. While it's very much an action thriller movie, Affleck is also able to flex his comedic muscles... especially when his protagonist is in uncomfortable social situations. After being tickled throughout my screening of the sequel, I wondered why the 52 year-old actor doesn't do more comedies. CinemaBlend's The Accountant 2 review praised Affleck's performance in the sequel, and mused on whether or not it actually surpassed the original. The comedic parts of the thriller were highlighted in Christian's relationship with his brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal). At times, the sequel bordered on becoming a buddy comedy, which might actually be a great genre for this pair of action-heavy stars to collaborate on. Amazon Prime Video: 30-day free trialThe first Accountant movie is streaming now with an Amazon Prime subscription. Trial for 30-days, thereafter pay $14.99 a month, or save 22% by paying $139 upfront for the Deal While Affleck is neurotypical, both of the Accountant movies have thoughtfully approached the way Christian's autism is portrayed. While social situation can help provide comedic fodder, the films aren't laughing at the character. Instead, they offer some much-needed vulnerability from the wildly effective (and deadly) protagonist of the franchise. I'd say, by and large, Affleck is known for doing serious movies. Whether it's his tenure as Batman, Oscar-winning projects like Good Will Hunting, or thrillers like The Town, the multi-hyphenate is mostly known for dramatic film appearances. There are exceptions like his collaborations with Kevin Smith (as well as his scene with Wonder Woman in The Flash), I think he's been holding out on moviegoing audiences when it comes to his comedic chops. Of course, Affleck is a very busy person, and his schedule might be better used on non-comedy projects. After all, we've seen how that genre has been historically left out by major awards shows. So, perhaps the star has other projects he's more passionate about. Aside from his thriving career, the actor/filmmaker has been making headlines thanks to his personal life. Affleck and JLo's relationship has officially come to an end, and more stories continue coming out about what's going on behind closed doors. The Accountant 2 is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list. We'll just have to see if the long-awaited sequel does well enough that Affleck gets to return once again in a threequel.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Accountant 2' director teases Anna Kendrick's return for a third film: 'She wants to do it'
The Accountant 2 director Gavin O'Connor explains why Anna Kendrick's character doesn't appear in the sequel. The filmmaker says he always envisioned The Accountant as a trilogy and hopes to bring the Oscar nominee back for the final film. O'Connor breaks down what the third film would be about, and says that Kendrick has expressed interest in not as certain as death and taxes, but it seems like a third Accountant film is coming due. Nearly a decade after the sleeper hit first installment debuted, Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal have reteamed with director Gavin O'Connor for The Accountant 2, out this weekend. Affleck returns as Christian Wolff, a high-functioning autistic black market accountant who uses his neurodivergency to crack complex puzzles and take down crime kingpins between filing tax returns. Bernthal plays his formerly estranged brother, Brax, a clingy hitman with a short fuse. Noticeably absent from the sequel is Anna Kendrick's Dana Cummings, an accountant Wolff helps and eventually develops feelings for in the first film. While her character is never mentioned in the follow-up, O'Connor says we might not have seen the last of her — or the Wolff brothers. "We always wanted it to be three movies," O'Connor tells Entertainment Weekly. "When [screenwriter] Bill [Dubuque] and I started talking about the second movie, it was very important that we didn't want a love story. We wanted a love story with brothers. We wanted to do a 48 Hours or Midnight Run kind of buddy picture." O'Connor points out that in the first film, Braxton and Christian "don't even meet each other until the third act, and it's violent." With the sequel, the director says he wanted to "explore their relationship and let them try to fix their stuff," adding, "I knew that there were opportunities for comedy to be mined out of there, and also for emotion to be mined out of there. So that was very intentional." He continues, "Then the third movie, which is what the plan has always been, is for [Chris'] quest for love and connection to be consummated. I don't know what that's going to be yet, but that's the intention." As for why Kendrick's Cummings doesn't appear in the sequel, O'Connor says there just wasn't enough room for her story. "Yeah. I mean, how do I bring Anna into the second and then ignore her?" he says. "The whole point was exploring the brothers and that emotional line between them. That was always the intention, so she was never going to be in the second." But once he and Dubuque come up with a plan for the third film, O'Connor says the actress is ready to return. "We've had conversations. She wants to do it. We just have to figure out how to do it," he says. Still, that might take some time. While there were a number of reasons it took nearly 10 years to make the sequel — including a pandemic, industry strikes, and studio shakeups — O'Connor notes that it's not so easy coming up with puzzles that only Wolff can solve. "I gotta be honest, I'm so tired of these Byzantine puzzle plots," the director says with a laugh. "It's really hard to do…If it's an easy plot, you don't need Christian." While the story "can't be so confounding that the audience checks out," the filmmaker says it needs to be complicated enough to justify Wolff's maybe O'Connor will go a completely different direction next time. "I think I may just do a road picture or something, refresh just as much as we refreshed the tank on the second movie." At the end of the day, the director says, "I'm going to probably do something that makes me interested to come to work every day and tell a story. And then, lastly, yes, if it's going to be Anna, Chris needs to find love and find connection and go off into the sunset. So it probably will be with Dana Cummings." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Accountant 2' Director Gavin O'Connor Says Anna Kendrick Is ‘A Hundred Percent In' For Potential Third Film: ‘She and I Have Been Texting'
Although Anna Kendrick, who starred in the first 'Accountant' film, is missing from the sequel, franchise director Gavin O'Connor says she's ready to help complete the trilogy. Joined by star Ben Affleck and screenwriter Bill Dubuque, O'Connor told The New York Times that Kendrick is ready to return as Christian Wolff's love interest, Dana Cummings, for a potential third film. Affleck added that he, too, is ready for a threequel, and is 'just waiting for another great script.' More from Variety Box Office: 'Sinners' Stays Strong With $13 Million Second Friday, 'The Accountant 2' Appraises $9.4 Million Opening Day New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Sinners' to Take Another Big Bite Out of Box Office, Ben Affleck's 'Accountant 2' Aims for $25 Million Debut Of Kendrick's involvement, O'Connor said that he and Dubuque 'have had some preliminary conversations. I am personally running from another puzzle movie, which we've done twice now. One thing we've talked about is the idea of bringing Anna Kendrick back. Maybe Christian can finally get the love that he deserves.' 'We're hoping she still likes us,' Affleck interjected. O'Connor then added, 'Actually, Ben, she and I have been texting. She said she's a hundred percent in if we want.' Talking to Entertainment Weekly, O'Connor said he has 'always wanted' 'The Accountant' franchise to be a three-film series, and added that Affleck's Christian needs that sort of runway to complete his arc. 'When Bill and I started talking about the second movie, it was very important that we didn't want a love story. We wanted a love story with brothers. We wanted to do a '48 Hours' or 'Midnight Run' kind of buddy picture,' O'Connor said. 'Then the third movie, which is what the plan has always been, is for [Christian's] quest for love and connection to be consummated. I don't know what that's going to be yet, but that's the intention.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
