ACCA Pakistan launches International Certificate in Financial English
Qualification to enhance first-rate financial English skills
31 Jul 2009
The International Certificate in Financial English (ICFE) qualification has been officially launched in Pakistan with a series of events hosted by ACCA Pakistan for employers in the IT, telecoms, banking and FMCG sectors, and educational institutions.
The qualification, which has been jointly developed by ACCA and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (English for Speakers of Other Languages), provides candidates with a comprehensive approach to developing financial English language skills. It assesses their ability to understand spoken and written English in realistic contexts that accounting and finance professionals encounter in their daily working lives.
Commenting on the launch of the ICFE qualification, Arif Masud Mirza, head of ACCA Pakistan, said: 'Being the international language of finance and accountancy, it is vital for professionals to have first-rate financial English language skills and the ability to communicate confidently with colleagues from the international business community.'
Zainab Khan, a recruitment, compensation and training manager at ICI Pakistan Ltd, further underlined the benefit of the ICFE qualification from the employer's perspective. She considers effective communication as being tantamount to business success.
'Our business constantly demands excellence in communication, internally and externally,' she said. 'The English language is the most widely used business language and is a tool we cannot do without. Therefore, Cambridge ICFE may well be an ideal solution to prepare our employees to deliver to our requirements. We certainly see it as a valuable addition to an ambitious accountant's CV that may well improve his or her career.'
Cambridge ESOL exams are recognised internationally by more than 50 leading companies including PwC, KPMG, HSBC, the World Bank and Nestle. In Pakistan, Khushhali Bank, ICI Pakistan, PTCL and Packages Ltd endorse the ICFE qualification, and the exams sessions will be conducted by the British Council.