Accountants and auditors drawn from various Rwandan firms are presently undergoing a training aimed at building capacity and drawing lasting solutions to challenges faced by small and medium enterprises.

The two-day workshop is organised by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (ICPAR).

 "We realised that there was need to come together and discuss, educate and as well share experiences to come up with appropriate or standard policies in the profession,” said Jackson Ogallo, the official in charge of Training and Development at ICPAR.

He explained that the necessity for the workshop emerged after a survey that identified the challenges firms face in their day-to-day activities.

One of the trainers, Richard Kamami, the Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Manager at the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), told The New Times that the training gives a platform to have long lasting businesses.

"Mentoring programs, rewarding and retaining long serving employees will enable firms provide quality services and stay in business,” Kamami said.

The manager noted that most businesses fail due to lack of succession plans for business continuity after owners pass away.

In an interview shortly after the training, one of the beneficiaries, Vishnumaya R. Nambiar, the operator of Nambiar Associates-Audit Partner, said the training gives them room to address and seek solutions that will improve their operations.

However, she urged Rwandan students to take-up the accounting course saying there is high demand in the labour market.

Nambiar explained that, "When we want professional or qualified accountants, most of the time, we go for expatriates something that is costly making our services expensive.”

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