"A letter from a concerned ICEA Member…"

"Dear Institute of Cost and Executive Accountants

For a number of years now I have had difficulty in obtaining any response from the ICEA administration based in Akhtar House. I have written many times but I have never received a reply. I became more concerned when I stopped receiving fee requests, and I initially thought that there must be a problem with the mail. I checked this out and was satisfied that the Royal Mail is working perfectly well.

Recently I checked some details concerning ICEA on the Companies House web site and I was shocked to discover that all the statutory filings are now overdue. This alone makes me wonder if ICEA is becoming a dinosaur and dieing before our very eyes. For any organisation, being late with its returns to Companies House is a serious matter, but for a professional accountancy body to be late is simply unbelievable.

I am quite active within the accountancy world and I know many other ICEA members who also share my concerns. My main worry has been that if ICEA folds in to oblivion what will happen to me? I am an ACEA qualified accountant, and I depend upon my qualification to earn my living. If ICEA dissolves then I’m afraid that my ACEA certificate will become worthless, and through no fault of my own.

Fortunately I have taken the steps to protect myself and my qualification by claiming exemptions from ACPA. I now am an Associate Certified Corporate Executive Accountant as well as an ACEA, and enjoy what they call “dual qualification status” and use ACEA, ACCEA after my name. I figured that if ICEA does disappear I won’t lose my hard earned qualification and status as a professional accountant, and if ICEA recovers well I’ve gained an additional qualification and further recognition globally. I’m also now studying for my FCCEA, which I hope will lead to a major promotion for me at work.

I hope the guys at Akhtar House can turn things around because it would be such a shame if ICEA was no more. This year we should be celebrating 50 glorious years of growth rather than worrying about losing our very existence.

Thanks for reading my gripe."