ACCA's District Society Consultation Sham

Globalization, money laundering, regulation, audit failures, the pensions crisis and the role of accounting in povert ywages are just some of the major topics that are rarely discussed at the ACCA District Societies. The reason is that District Societies are not allowed to discuss anything that Head Office disapproves of. Once upon a time, the UK District Societies were locally managed and controlled. But now they are all (with some minor exceptions) controlled by ACCA Head Office. It decides which speaker will be invited and the topics that will be discussed. Topics such as the governance of the Association, accountability of the leadership and lack of democracy and openness are not ever allowed on the agenda.

Under pressure from some members, ACCA is belatedly undertaking a consultation exercise. Overseas members are totally excluded from the consultation. Their local events are all centralised and controlled by the Head Office bureaucrats.

The UK consultation is a sham. Everything has already been centralised and members at local lever have little, if any say, in matters. The so called 'consultation' is a cynical exercise in impression management.

VOTE AGAINST  CENTRALISED CONTROL

Many ACCA members voluntarily give their time to sit on local committees and organise events, but now the whole thing has been hijacked by Head Office. Local committees have become puppets of the management.

For effective democracy to function, local mmebers must elect their District Society management committees. These committees must decide what their priorities are and decide the programme of events. The Head Office bureaucrats should be there to serve, not determine, the local needs.