The other day I was lucky enough to be given a demonstration of the Library and Information Service’s new collection of country resources. In response to member demand for international material they have put together a fantastic collection of resources for 90 countries.
Information available for specific countries includes regulatory updates, economic forecasts, industry reports, labour market reports, ‘doing business in …’ guides and tax data.
Having seen the depth of the material available, I can tell you that whether you are looking for a profile of the Chinese gas utilities industry, monthly summaries of the political and economic risks in India, guidance on tax planning in Singapore, articles on corporate governance in Brazil, or Russian anti-money laundering information, you will find it there.
What’s more, the majority of this content is free and instantly accessible to members online. Knowing what this material can cost from my own experience, I think this is a really valuable resource for members. But let me know what you think.Post your commentsComments
In England (and various other Commonwealth countries) where company law traditionally has mandated audits as the quid pro quo of limited liability, the practice of a blanket audit requirement for companies irrespective of size and shape, has been difficult to undo. The sad fact is that the accounting profession for generations was complicit in keeping this universal audit regime in place. In Canada small practitioners conduct audits very rarely and small business is spared the fees for procedures wherein costs far exceed benefits. If British firms now are promoting fewer audits, and therefore what's cost-effective for clients and the economy, hats off to them.
Mr Dereck Sale
These resources and their ilk are excellent while under-appreciated. At IFAC we are developing a library of links to such resources so that accountants from around the world may access them - see our International Center for Small and Medium Practices at http://www.ifac.org/SMP/ and look up links under resources.
I have three suggestions for the ICAEW. Firts, make sure these resources are open to anyone to access, not just members. They are a great way of driving traffic to your website and building the ICAEW's visibility. Second, continually raise awareness amongst members of their existence and how they can be used. Many members fail to realize what great resources are a click away on their member body's website. And finally, keep the material focused, relevant and up to date: avoid overhwelming users with too many links/resources.
Paul Thompson