Honored guests, dear colleagues,
Good afternoon and welcome!
I am very pleased that with the help offered by technology, we can be together during this centenary year, to celebrate the 97 years since the first regulation of the Romanian Accounting Profession. On behalf of the CECCAR Board members and myself, I wish a “Happy Anniversary!” to all professional accountants – members of CECCAR. At the same time, we should wish together a “Happy Anniversary to Romania!”.
In less than three years’ time after the creation of Greater Romania in December 1918, a process started in 1901 was finalized as a result of the understanding and appreciation of the importance and the role of the accounting profession in the economic development of the country. Thus, on 13 July 1921, King Ferdinand I of Romania approved, by Royal Decree, the Law for the organization of the Body of Licensed Accountants and Expert Accountants, a document countersigned by Grigore Trancu-Iaşi, as Minister of Labor, a promoter and supporter of this legislative initiative. By approving this law, Romania became a member of an elite group of countries where the accounting profession was regulated at that time: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.
Since its creation, the role played by the professional body of Romania in the development of the accounting profession at the international level has been remarkable. Unfortunately, all these are little-known facts, but we should be proud of them as a nation.
During the International Congress of Accounting, held in Brussels in 1926, Professor George Alesseanu’s proposal, a world premiere according to which “Assets should be entered in the balance sheet in the order of their liquidity” was adopted as a motion. Also as a world premiere, the proposal of the Romanian delegates, true visionaries for their times, regarding the need to harmonize and standardize accounting internationally, was adopted. In this regard, Nicolae Butculescu, President of the Professional Body, stated in his speech at the Congress: “Accountants all over the world should speak the same language, the unification of accounting methods is mandatory.”
As an international recognition of the role of the professional accountants of our country in the development of the accounting profession of that time, Romania was nominated to be the host of the 7th International Congress of Accounting, organized simultaneously with the 5th Congress of the Body of Licenced Accountants and Experts Accountants of Romania, in Bucharest between 5-9 September 1931, under the patronage of Nicolae Iorga, PhD – President of the Council of Ministers of Romania at the time.
So, we have a history which makes us proud, but at the same time it compels us to rise to the level of our predecessors. However, we can only do this together, and the proactive involvement of everyone of us in the development and promotion of the profession, but also in furthering the public interest, is the key to success. The strength of CECCAR has always rested and rests on its representation at the national level through each county branch, and this benefit would be unequivocally maintained by the management of CECCAR.
The accounting profession is a living profession, adapting itself permanently to the changing business models and to society as a whole. That’s why, nowadays, our profession is in the process of reinventing itself in a digitized and globalized world. Updating the skills of our members to the reality of today and tomorrow, the win-win partnership with the business community, but also with the institutions and regulatory authorities, the promotion of the public interest and ethical behavior are milestones in the evolution of our profession.
Together, we need to make every effort to ensure that entrepreneurs, institutions and regulators can rely on us, count on our expertise and services and consider us strategic partners as we consider them, all this to make our businesses count on the globalized market and to ensure the development of the national economy.
For these reasons, I would like to address our institutional partners by saying, “Count on us. Count, with us. Always!”
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
“Happy anniversary to all professional accountants!” “Happy Anniversary, Romania!“
President of the Superior Council of CECCAR,
Prof. Robert-Aurelian Şova, PhD, Expert Accountant
