From left: Technical Committee Alternate Chair Priyoshini Fernando, Technical Committee Chairman Anura Perera, CA Sri Lanka Vice President Heshana Kuruppu, CA Sri Lanka President Sanjaya Bandara, National Conference Committee Chairperson Anoji de Silva and Chief Executive Officer Dulani Fernando

Amidst an unprecedented economic crisis engulfing the country, which has impacted businesses and citizens alike, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), in its standing as the national body of accountants, will take the lead to influence chartered accountants to push for transformation, to help the country successfully navigate through its ongoing predicament.    

The National Conference of Chartered Accountants, organised for the 43rd consecutive year by CA Sri Lanka and dubbed as one of the country’s biggest business summits, will help delegates, including business leaders, entrepreneurs and c-suite executives, effect change, which will benefit not just the country and corporate but also individuals and society.    

The 43rd National Conference will be held from October 12 to 14, 2022, at Monarch Imperial, Colombo, on the inspiring theme ‘Transform’ and the three-day event expected to attract over 2000 delegates, with over 20 speakers expected to share their insights on the unprecedented, complex and the ever-evolving social and economic situation in Sri Lanka, while exploring possibilities to transform for a better self, society, corporate and country. 

Speaking at the press conference, CA Sri Lanka President Sanjaya Bandara said that today, Sri Lanka is at crossroads and the fact of the matter is that the light at the end of the tunnel is far from visible because the economic crisis the country is facing at present is something vastly different from what Sri Lanka has faced in the past. 

“Many of us in Sri Lanka have faced our fair share of crises ranging from a war to a tsunami to the Easter Sunday attack. But the ongoing economic crisis is something unique to us all, as it has affected everyone, both rich and poor as well as big and small,” he said. 

  
He said chartered accountants are no longer restricted to traditional number-crunching roles. Instead, today, they are identified as co-pilots of a business because they bring a multitude of critical skills to the table ranging from technical to leadership as well as strategic thinking.   

National Conference Committee Chairperson Anoji de Silva said that for many decades CA Sri Lanka has always strived to promote thought leadership amongst the business community. 

“This year’s conference is even more significant as we feel we are in sync with what, we as Sri Lankans, believe. We are ready for real transformation, a transformation that will change the country for the better,” she said. 

Staying true to its theme ‘transform’, the conference will also change the format this year, moving away from the traditional panel discussions by incorporating more speakers, who will bring different and diverse perspectives apart from concluding the event with a highly inspiring fireside chat.     

Technical Committee Chairman Anura Perera reiterated that Sri Lanka has plunged into an unprecedented economic and humanitarian crisis and while the dynamics are very fluid, the fact of the matter is that the end to this crisis appears to be very blurred.

“While we engage in dissecting and analysing the root causes of this crisis, the Technical Committee of the National Conference thought that we should focus and discuss the way forward in resolving and coming out of this crisis,” he said.