The ICAEW, a world leader of the accountancy and finance professions, has opened its first regional office outside of the UK in South East Asia. Located in Singapore, the South East Asia office is the first of a number of offices that the ICAEW will be establishing around the world over the next few years.

The South East Asia regional office will co-ordinate and support ICAEW initiatives across Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. In particular, it will work with businesses based in the region to extend training of the ACA qualification to countries across South East Asia. It will also seek to make available the expertise and knowledge of both the ICAEW and its membership to governments and regulators across South East Asia, helping local economies to compete globally through the development of global accountancy and finance professions.

Best known for its prestigious ACA qualification, the ICAEW has members that work across the full breath of the economy. There are more than 132,000 members in over 160 countries, of which 1,800 are based in South East Asia. Members include business leaders of some of the world’s most successful organisations. Over 80% of the FTSE 100 listed companies in the UK have ICAEW members on their boards.

Mr Toh Wee Khiang, Executive Director of Human Capital and Professional Services at the Singapore Economic Development Board, said, "Singapore offers access to a global talent pool that is critical to the flourishing community of professional services firms. The establishment of ICAEW is a big boost to the accountancy and finance sectors in Singapore as it is recognised as a leader in ensuring that the industry maintains the highest technical and ethical standards. In addition, ICAEW's ACA qualifications ensure that skills remain relevant and valued even as business needs becoming increasingly complex."

Mr Jonathan Kua, Director of New Businesses Group of the Singapore Economic Development Board, welcomes the opening of ICAEW's regional office in Singapore. "The opening of ICAEW's regional office marks a new chapter in the Institute's presence in the region. We are honoured that ICAEW has joined a growing cluster of International Non-Profit Organisations (INPOs) that have chosen Singapore as a base to manage their programmes and engage their constituencies in Asia. We welcome more of such organisations to leverage Singapore’s connectivity and business infrastructure to access the region," said Mr Kua.

British High Commissioner, HE Paul Madden (3rd from left) hosted the ICAEW's first International Regional Office Opening in Singapore at his official residence, Eden Hall.