Professional accountants in Rwanda should embrace information and communication technology (ICT) in their operations to enhance efficiency and productivity, Patrick Marara Shyaka, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning accountant general, has said.

Shyaka was commenting ahead of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Eastern Africa Convention to be held in Kampala, Uganda on November 25-27.

ACCA Eastern Africa is a member of ACCA, the global body for professional accountants.

The regional convention will discuss a number of regional sectorial growth drivers, including entrepreneurship, the growth of capital markets, regional integration issues; technology as an enhancer of business, ethical business, the future of the accountancy profession, and oil and gas.

"ICT facilitates bookkeeping, as well as analysis of accountancy data, making it easier to access desired information and, therefore saves time,” Shyaka noted.

However, he said ICT-assisted management systems are prone to some challenges such as information being destroyed or misused by other agents.

"That’s why such accountancy seminars are important as participants are alerted on new risks so that they (accountants) can devise ways to safeguard their ICT systems and data,” he said.

He added that such conferences are in the spirit of ensuring continuous professional development for practitioners.

"After acquiring skills through professional courses, accountants need to continue enhancing their expertise to stay up to date,” Shyaka said.

He noted that local or regional workshops help practitioners to widen their scope of knowledge and skills that are key in their daily duties.

Under the theme, "Eastern Africa; the next growth frontier”, the convention will provide a platform to share knowledge and best practices among business leaders and finance professionals, Beatrice Isagayite, the ACCA Uganda president, said in a statement on Friday.

ACCA global president Anthony Harbinson is expected to attend the convention that will attract participants from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan, Eritrea and other sub- Saharan African countries.

Japheth Katto, an ACCA fellow and ACCA council member, said accountants and finance professionals have a critical role to play in Africa’s growth.

"Sustainable economic development is all about delivering public value; acting in the public interest, promoting ethical business and helping grow economies,” Katto added.

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