西藏CGA會員必讀：CGA加拿大注冊會計(jì)師協(xié)會分享了自己的會計(jì)教育與訓(xùn)練促使Azerbaijan的會計(jì)現(xiàn)代化發(fā)展！
 
　　CGAs Help Azerbaijan Modernize Accounting
 
　　CGA-Canada Shares Accounting, Training and Education Expertise
 
　　In early 2008, CGA-Canada representatives were once again in Azerbaijan. This project, the third funded by the World Bank, required the team to work with Azerbaijan’s finance ministry. The country is just beginning to transition to International Financial Reporting Standards.
 
　　The team began by conducting extensive interviews with key stakeholders to determine existing education and competency levels, as well as future needs. Once the fieldwork was complete, team members developed plans for a centre for professional accounting, training, education and research. A detailed accounting education program and syllabus for the country’s academic institutions and other training providers were also produced.
 
　　It is hoped that the project’s outcomes will form the basis for a modern accountancy profession and an internationally recognized designation.
 
　　BAKU, Azerbaijan – The Azerbaijan government has embarked on several projects in recent years to improve the transparency of financial reporting, and the development of national accounting systems based on international standards.
 
　　A new accounting law was enacted in 2004 requiring the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by commercial organizations. Non-commercial organizations must follow new National Accounting Standards for Budget Organizations, which are to be based on International Public Sector Accounting Standards. For commercial organizations, the law defines Public Interest Entities and stipulates that they have to adopt IFRS in its entirety. Other commercial organizations can adopt either IFRS or National Accounting Standards for Commercial Organizations (NASCOs). The NASCOs are based on IFRS, but are intended to be simpler to implement and follow.
 
　　Collectively, these new requirements aim to modernize the Azerbaijani system and put the country’s reporting systems on par with other countries. Yet the number of designated accountants in Azerbaijan is extremely low. One estimate is that there are only about 30 designated accountants in the entire country.
 

 
　　Training requirements are immense
 
　　The previous Soviet system did not require professional accountancy in the Western sense. Reporting requirements were heavily rules-based and primarily consisted of completing structured forms. The switch to IFRS represents a major mind-shift. Applying a principles-based system requires a considerable amount of professional judgment.
 
　　The training requirements to support this switch are immense, and the universities are ill-equipped to deal with the situation. State universities continue to teach the traditional methods, and are not able to transition quickly to IFRS-based courses. A few private universities that teach using Western methods are the closest to being able to train in IFRS. But their resources are constrained as they face great difficulties finding experienced instructors.
 
　　As a result, Azerbaijani companies are facing numerous challenges with respect to staff training. Additionally, most of the reputable training courses, as well as the standards themselves, are only available in Russian, not in the official language of Azeri. Translated projects suffer from inconsistencies because many of the technical terms used in the standards do not yet have a corresponding Azeri word that is applied uniformly.
 
　　The government’s ambitious goals, coupled with the country’s myriad challenges, led Azerbaijan to apply for assistance from the World Bank. CGA-Canada was chosen to provide the necessary guidance and assistance based on its rigorous accounting education and certification program, and its previous experience in the region.
 
　　CGA-Canada’s experience in the region invaluable
 
　　In 2005 and 2006, CGA-Canada participated in two World Bank projects. The first was a study of the country’s standards and compliance in accounting and auditing, using international standards as a benchmark. The second was a capacity-building project for the Chamber of Auditors of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
 
　　The previous experience proved invaluable in ensuring that a balance could be struck between the government’s expectations for this latest project and the realities of the Azerbaijan’s business environment. With less than two decades of history, the country’s modern economy is still young. The privatization process, which started in the mid-90s, is far from complete. And until recently, there were minimal requirements for the publication of financial information, and the concept of general-purpose financial statements to meet the needs of various stakeholders was effectively unknown.
 
　　Economy fuelled by oil and gas
 
　　Azerbaijan sits on the Caspian Sea, between Russia and Iran. The country is slightly larger than New Brunswick, with a population of just over eight million people. Business is booming along with world oil prices. Two-thirds of Azerbaijan’s GDP comes from the oil and gas industries.
 
　　Wealth in Azerbaijan is unevenly distributed and there are significant class differences, with striking contrasts in living conditions, often from one block to the next. Also impacting daily life and the economy is the country’s continuing conflict with neighboring Armenia over a swath of land that each country claims rights over. Despite several UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of occupied territory, Armenia remains in control of a section of land that effectively bisects Azerbaijan.
 
　　Unexpected snow adds to team’s adventure
 
　　The fieldwork occurred in January 2008. One CGA-Canada team member arrived in town first and was greeted by unseasonably cold and stormy weather. Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, normally has a January climate similar to Vancouver’s. The unexpected snow storm led to horrendous driving conditions, as unplowed roads thawed and re-froze into 20cm- thick skating rinks. Most drivers had never driven in snow, let alone on ice.
 
　　Three other team members arrived a few days later. With the assistance of local consultants, they interviewed representatives from a wide range of government organizations, oil and gas companies, banks, state and private universities, insurance corporations, national and international accounting and auditing firms, as well as local training groups. Using an adapted version of CGA-Canada’s Practice Analysis, sources were questioned about existing education and competency levels, and their future needs.
 
　　Stock Exchange’s trading floor remains vacant
 
　　Not unlike in other countries transitioning to IFRS, company owners and executives in Azerbaijan expressed concern about the increased reporting requirements, particularly around disclosure and transparency. This is understandable as most corporate financing here is arranged through lending, grants, and closely held business structures rather than through the issuance of public shares. Consider that although the Baku Stock Exchange was established eight years ago and employs more than 100 people, there are no public companies in the country. The Exchange’s 30-desk trading floor remains vacant.
 
　　Banks have been the first entities to prepare for the transition to IFRS and they have received significant government-funded training. Bank staff indicated that the transition process has not come as a complete surprise. They had already adopted additional reporting requirements in order to be recognized on the world market. Still, they are facing ongoing IFRS-related challenges.
 
　　Partners from various international accounting and auditing firms explained that having to deal with the continuous change embodied in a principles-based system is a major adjustment for people working in the region. Originally, many of the banks believed that the changeover would be a one-time systems update. Instead, they’re finding that they continue to rely heavily on international auditing firms for guidance in the more complex areas, such as determining loan loss provisions and establishing fair value.

 
　　Walled city offers glimpse of city’s ancient past
 
　　During the visit, the team had the opportunity to explore Baku and the walled city dating back to the 12th century that still provides the city’s inner core. Inside the walls, streets are narrow and are much better suited to horse or foot traffic than the multitude of cars and taxis that honk and swerve their way around the tight corners today. The Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where several landmarks have been well preserved, including the Maiden Tower, an 8-storey structure with 5-metre thick walls at its base. Legend suggests that this mysterious feature was named for a young girl who threw herself from the tower into the Caspian Sea, which once lapped at the foot of the tower. Another heritage site is Shirvanshah’s Palace, built in the 15th century and whose waters are believed to have healing powers.
 
　　The restaurants also offered a unique experience, with inner courtyards originally meant for securing caravans of traders and their camels, surrounded by small rooms that now serve as either dining rooms for patrons, or small carpet and antique shops. Buildings within the Old City are being restored to their former glory from the pre-Soviet era. The architecture, seemingly a fusion of European and Islamic styles, is particularly striking at night when the buildings are lit up. Overlooking the sea and the Old City stands the Martyr’s Monument, built to remember the loss of life during the Soviet Union’s military intervention against Baku in 1990. This monument and its eternal flame pay silent vigil at the end of a row of hundreds of graves, adorned with portraits of the deceased etched in marble.
 
　　The team also managed a day trip outside the city, first visiting Ateshgah, an ancient site deemed holy because of the natural “eternal flames” bursting from the ground as a result of large gas deposits.  Team members also visited the mud volcanoes near Gobustan (the country’s other UNESCO site) where they were surrounded by giant mounds of mud. The concentration of 300 mud volcanoes at Gobustan represents nearly half of the only 700 in the world, and they draw travelers from far away who believe in the mud’s medicinal powers.
 
　　One of the most interesting sites outside of the city is the petro glyphs at Gobustan, where visitors are greeted by ancient rock carvings depicting primitive people, animals, ritual dancing, and hunting. After touring the many petro glyph sections, CGA-Canada team members climbed onto a high ridge for a great view of the plains below and the Caspian Sea beyond. They descended again by means of a rickety ladder that looked only slightly less ancient than the carvings.
 

 

 
　　Plans for accounting, training, education and research centre delivered
 
　　With the fieldwork wrapped up, the CGA-Canada team then tackled the deliverables for the project, which included comprehensive plans for developing the Azerbaijan Centre for Professional Accounting, Training, Education and Research. The Centre would report to the ministry of finance. The team also produced a detailed accounting education program and syllabus to be shared with the country’s academic institutions and other training providers. The deliverables incorporate best practices for governance and are based on IFAC’s international education standards.
 
　　高頓網(wǎng)校小編寄語：游手好閑的學(xué)習(xí)并不比學(xué)習(xí)游手好閑好。——約·貝勒斯