CGA COMBATS MONOPOLY
By Adnews Staff
The Certified General Accountant Association of Ontario launched a provincewide ad campaign this week to tell consumers that the Public Accoutancy Act is outdated and unfair. The campaign uses radio, TV and print ads created by Convergence Media of Toronto. Under the act, licenses to practice accounting are controlled by the Public Accountant Council, which is controlled by the Institute of Chartered Accountants. The CGA believes this results in a monopoly situation, in which licenses are based on designation, "that is, only to chartered accountants, rather than qualification." "When you hire an accountant, all you care about is that he or she is qualified to provide the services you need," CGA executive director Gord Fuller says in a release. "We want people to know what is going on, and to tell the government that the time has come to do something about it. Unless the government takes action, ultimately this monopoly could severely restrict where individuals and businesses can go for their accounting and related needs, even for something like an tax return," Fuller says. The main difference between a certified general accountant and a chartered accountant is that a chartered accountant must gain work experience during their schooling in a public accounting firm, while a general accountant can gain experience at other businesses as well. The CGA is an association of professional accountants and accounting students. CGA regulates qualification, performance and discipline standards for certified general accountants, and advocates the use of their professional expertise in the public interest.