Singapore’s accounting body Isca to host forum for global players
The forum will focus on five ‘issues of tomorrow’ affecting accountants, among them, technology and sustainability. Isca also wants to grow its staff strength by 50%
THE Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (Isca) aims to host a forum for international players in Singapore in November 2025, under its plans to position the Republic as a global accounting hub.
The inaugural World Accountancy Forum, which will run for three days, aims to bring together 3,000 business and accounting leaders from across the world to discuss critical, emerging issues such as technology and sustainability.
About half the attendees are expected to be from Singapore, with the rest from up to 30 other countries.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah announced the event on Thursday (Aug 1), at Isca’s annual dinner held at JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach.
“As we develop our accountancy sector in Singapore, we must also look internationally,” Indranee said in her keynote address.
“In today’s interconnected global economy, the sector plays a crucial role in guiding businesses through the complex web of international accounting standards, regulatory frameworks, and professional practices,” she added.
In an interview with The Business Times, Isca president Teo Ser Luck said: “Why is this forum important? (It’s because) I need to position our sector to be internationally recognised, and for Singapore to be a leading knowledge and research centre for our sector.”
The forum will focus on five “issues of tomorrow” that are expected to affect accountants and other professionals, Isca chief executive Fann Kor told BT.
The issues are: global economic trends and insights; technology and innovation; ethics and governance; sustainability; and talent recruitment, retention and renewal.
“We want to address these more on a long-term basis,” Kor added.
Workforce boost
To boost Isca’s strength, Teo intends to ramp up hiring, and add 50 more employees in the coming months, for a total of some 150 full-time staff.
The bulk of the new hires will be based in key overseas markets to deepen the accounting body’s ongoing push to internationalise.
The markets abroad include China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, where Isca already has a presence, Kor said.
Some new hires will be based in Singapore, primarily in research and technical roles. “We want to be at the forefront of developing that knowledge,” Teo said.
Teo, who is in his second term as Isca president, said another key focus on his watch is to find a way for Isca members to have “greater ownership” and sense of belonging to the organisation.
