Accountants underline ethics

The seminar was well attended, an indication that ethics is a topic that accountants and professionals in the financial services view as relevant in our business environment. The most salient point derived from the presentation is that ethics is not a buzzword nor a transient topic, but a culture that pervades an organisation and that culture has to start at the top.

Other issues addressed were whistle blowing and the fear of reprisal; the duty of accountants to report illegal activity and the consequences of these actions in a small society with a resource strapped judicial system. It was reiterated that there is an Anti Money Laundering Act in Trinidad and Tobago with enforceable penalties and fines for money laundering. The seminar was accompanied by the distribution of certificates to ten recently appointed members and to two new holders of practising certificates.