AAT Sri Lanka marks year of key achievements in 2017

AAT President J.M.U.B. Jayasekara (centre) at the media briefing flanked by AAT CEO Tishanga Kumarasinghe and Student Promotion and Brand Marketing Chairman Saman Siri Lal

- Pic by Upul Abayasekara

By Shannon Jayawardena

At a media conference held on 20 December, the Association of Accounting Technicians of Sri Lanka (AAT) recollected the achievements the institution has received during this year. Attaining full membership at the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) along with several other awards have been the most salient milestones, said the association.

Reminiscing on the IFAC membership AAT Sri Lanka President J.M.U.B Jayasekera said: “We have managed to receive the most prestigious award for our country by reaching this goal and it is truly a great achievement for Sri Lanka. In few days we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary and during this period, the IFAC membership is definitely the biggest blessing. IFAC’s full membership had earlier been granted only to UK but now we have accomplished it as well.”

He further stated that there are 10 reasons for the institute to bag this victory. The reasons being; AAT fulfils its company’s responsibilities to the best of its abilities, they work according to international standards, attain constant growth in student membership intake, offer an international syllabus that is globally recognised, follow an international standard code of ethics, have special marketing skills that is very successful among international countries, effective leadership abilities, high reporting and complying skills, transparency and always follow the good governance principal and is a both local and international award winning institution.

Inaugurated in 1987, AAT Sri Lanka has come a long way having received many awards throughout the years. Its aim is to be the most recognised qualification for middle level accounting professionals while providing students a route to success in life by helping them become competent middle level accountants who add value to their employers, giving them the opportunity for career progression and networking and by developing their competency to co-operate for mutual gain with accounting and academic institutions.

Today the institution stands as the head in producing middle level accounting professionals to the country whilst strengthening the growing SME sector of Sri Lanka’s economy. It is also the first Associate Member of the Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA). Speaking on these achievements AAT Sri Lanka President J.M.U.B. Jayasekera, AAT Sri Lanka Chief Executive Officer Thishanga Kumarasinghe and AAT Sri Lanka Student Promotion and Brand Marketing Chairman Saman Siri Lal were present at the media conference.

“AAT Sri Lanka is the only accounting school to have full membership at both IFAC and CAPA around the world. At the award ceremony organised by the National Chamber of Commerce few months back we received three awards as an educational and occupational educative institute. We also won a gold under the Association and Society category for the fifth consecutive year and an award for being the Best Capacity Building Institute. Thereby I think that these are some of the biggest achievements that AAT Sri Lanka has attained during this year,” said AAT Sri Lanka Chief Executive Officer Thishanga Kumarasinghe.

“Most students who finish their O/L examinations don’t know what to do for their higher studies; therefore the courses at AAT will really help them qualify themselves to some extent. By the time you enter the university you could already have become a middle level accountant,” added AAT Sri Lanka Student Promotion and Brand Marketing Chairman Saman Siri Lal.