The induction of the new council of CMA Sri Lanka was held on 10th June 2021 online. CMA Sri Lanka was set up in 1999 with the technical support of CMA Canada (now CPA Canada) and the financial assistance of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). CMA was launched on 3rd June 2000 and thereafter incorporated in April 2009 as The Institute of Certified Management Accountants (CMA) of Sri Lanka by Act of Parliament No.23 of 2009 to be the National Professional Management Accounting Institution in Sri Lanka coming under the Ministry of Internal Trade and Cooperatives and then Industry and Commerce and thereafter under Ministry of Finance.
CMA are a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) the global organization for the accountancy profession, comprising 180 member and associate organizations in 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing nearly 3 million professional accountants, supporting the development, adoption, and implementation of high-quality international standards, working to prepare a future-ready accounting profession and speaking out as the voice of the global accounting profession. CMA are also members of the South Asian Federation of Accountants the apex regional professional accounting body for the South Asian Region and the Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants the professional accounting body for Asia and Pacific.
The new council of CMA Sri Lanka as per the Parliament Act No. 23 of 2009 for the year 2021 to 2023 are as follows:
President Prof. Lakshman R Watawala FCMA, Founder President CMA Sri Lanka, Past President CA Sri Lanka, Past President South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), Founder President AAT Sri Lanka, Former Chairman BOI Sri Lanka and Peoples Bank.
Vice President Mr. H.M. Hennayake Bandara FCMA, Vice President South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), Past Council Member CA Sri Lanka, Past President AAT Sri Lanka and Former General Manager National Savings Bank Sri Lanka,
Council Members, Mr. M Ruchira A Perera FCMA, Vice President Finance. BioMedica (Pvt) Ltd, Analytical Instruments Group, Mr. J M U B Jayasekera FCMA, Past President AAT Sri Lanka, Chairman JMC Jayasekera Management Centre (Pvt) Ltd., Mr. Puvendran Gajendra FCMA, Partner at Kanesalingam & Co. Chartered Accountants.
The three Nominated members to the Council as per the Act are Prof. Harendra Kariyawasam Head Department of Accounting, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Mr. Manil Jayasinghe FCMA President, CA Sri Lanka and Mr. J.P.R. Karunaratne FCMA Assistant Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Senior Advisory Council Member and Founder Member CMA Sri Lanka Mr. Hemaka Amarasuriya FCMA inducted the President, Vice President, and the new council on 10th June 2021.
The Congratulatory Remarks to the new council was delivered by H.E. David McKinnon High Commissioner for Canada in Sri Lanka who thanked the Founder President Prof Lakshman R Watawala for his vision and leadership without which CMA will not be what it is today and for the strong links with Canada to build the knowledge economy in Sri Lanka. He stated that the new council have a key role to play in adopting tools and practices to suit the evolving business and management dynamics and the holistic role of the management accountant to strengthen the accountability of the public and private sector. He also stressed the importance of transparency, providing more opportunities to women to qualify as management accountants and to be represented on the council of CMA Sri Lanka and senior management positions in the private and public sector.
This was followed by the Founder’s Day Oration delivered by Prof Ho Yew Kee FCMA, Associate Provost (SkillsFuture) Singapore Institute of Technology, Former Prof in the Accounting National University of Singapore, Advisory Council Member CMA Sri Lanka on the theme ‘Skills, Knowledge and Attitudes Needed for the Future of Work’. At the closure of the event, the Founder President Prof Lakshman R Watawala spoke on the formation and the need for the setting up of the Sri Lankan Management Accounting body followed by the vote of thanks by Mr Hennayaka Bandara Vice President of CMA Sri Lanka and SAFA.