Dear Editor,
The Institute of Internal Auditors – Guyana Chapter (IIAGC) which is affiliated to the Global IIA headquartered in the USA, has as a major goal, to promote the growth and development of the internal audit profession. In so doing, the IIAGC is required to be involved in continuing professional development of its internal auditors in order to enhance their knowledge, skills, and other competencies by having, among others, seminars/workshops over a two to three-day period. Such seminars have been ongoing since 2000, and the most recent one was held in the last week of September 2018.
With the focus on continuing professional development, the Local Chapter will facilitate such seminars on pertinent auditing activities, and in so doing, will share with the auditors, the current best practices in existence globally. Hence, extensive research is always being done on auditing activities so that the auditors are given the opportunity to update their knowledge, skills, etc.
At the recent IIAGC’s seminar/workshop, the focus, on day one, was the IIA’s Code of Ethics and on its International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. On day two, it was on Audit Reports – Communicating Assurance Results, and on Risk Management. The facilitators for this seminar were well-qualified and experienced practitioners in Messrs. John Seeram, Chair of IIAGC’s Board on day one, and Ramesh Persaud of the Private Sector Commission, and Mandy Mickle of the IIAGC on day two. It should be mentioned that the Global IIA requires, among others, that the presentation of these seminars must meet the required quality assurance standards, and indeed they were attained, judging from the responses of the participants.
Before the sessions began, as is customary, there were opening remarks given by Devi Kaladeen, President of the IIAGC, Seeram, and the feature address by the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia. They all spoke on aspects of the growth, development, and constraints of the internal auditing profession.
The emphasis of the IIAGC is for its seminars to attract a minimum of 30 organisations. On this occasion, 37 organisations were in attendance of which there were 60 participants on day one and 72 on day two. Representation was from the private and public – which included central government agencies – sectors. The numbers were: private sector, 16; public sector, 14; and central government agencies, 7; this representation indeed met one of the seminar’s goals.
It is evident that a wide cross-section of organisations see the great need for its staff to benefit from the IIAGC’s continuing professional development programme. Moreso, with irregularities, non-compliance with laws, regulations, etc. presently on the rise, the need for this form of quality assurance training is of major priority.
That being said, although the IIAGC has been delivering seminars over the past 18, its major goal, among others, is to advance the growth and development of the internal audit profession in Guyana which must be an ongoing exercise.
However, it is imperative that the IIAGC not do it alone; it has to be in partnership with both the private and public sectors’ organisations. And this partnership is in existence and is still growing for the benefit of the internal auditing profession. Let’s work together for IIAGC’s mission to be accomplished, one of which is to continue presenting successful quality assurance seminars/workshops.
Yours faithfully,
John Seeram
Chair, IIAGC
