Water is, as we all know, a scarce resource, particularly at this time of year in Europe and the Americas. So, helping to run a water company is inevitably a challenging prospect. But Rodoula Athanasiou FCCA is rising to that challenge, ensuring that, as chief accounting officer for the Water Board of Nicosia in Cyprus, the water keeps running. Her story is one of commitment, as she joined the water board in 1993 as a receptionist and, armed with her ACCA qualification, rose through the ranks. Read her story.
Talking of scarcity, it appears that Germany may be running out of skilled workers. Although the country is not unique in this respect, at the last count there were close to 770,000 unfilled vacancies, about two-thirds higher than a decade ago. More than a third of German companies report that they are suffering from a shortage of qualified workers, with accounting skills a particular problem. Find out how the country could solve this problem.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Uncle Sam is also struggling, this time with bringing home the profits of its own multinational companies. But a solution could come in the form of a global deal. If only the Republicans would ratify the OECD’s proposal. Read about how and why the US can join the global tax club.
Powerful people may feel more positive – but it could be at the expense of those around them, according to Dr Rob Yeung. In another of his insightful articles, Dr Yeung sets out how feelings of power also have drawbacks – most of which are not apparent to powerful people. They are more likely to underestimate the amount of time that projects take. They take more risky decisions and express higher levels of unwarranted confidence in them. They also more easily dehumanise other people – powerful stuff. Feel the power.
On the subject of power, a recent ACCA study shows how finance professionals have the power to transform SMEs in a range of capacities beyond the obvious role of finance director or adviser. The study’s aim is to share success stories and lessons learned by accountants working with SMEs in a range of capacities, but also to provide professional accountants with the practical tools they need to support SMEs’ resilience and growth. Learn more.
Finally, returning to tax, the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants has launched what has been described as the first global ethical framework of standards for tax-planning advice. The new framework, which takes effect on 1 July 2025, places a new requirement on professional accountants to consider the reputational, commercial and wider economic consequences of their tax-planning advice. Read about the framework.
