The ceremony was held at MNU Central Auditorium on 12th July 20223. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan, Auditor General and President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Maldives Mr. Hussain Niyazi, officials of the Ministry of Higher Education, senior members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Maldives and the Heads of Universities and Colleges in the Maldives.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan said the scholarship scheme is part of the President's vision to increase skilled professionals and increase the number of professional accountants among Maldivians. He is pleased to note that more scholarship opportunities have been provided this year than last year. The Minister also noted that accounting field is dominated by foreigners in the Maldives. By training locals in skilled professions, the country's economy will grow. The Minister urged the recipients of the scholarships to make full use of the scholarships and complete their studies within the stipulated time frame. The Minister expressed his sincere gratitude to the Auditor General and his office for their full support and cooperation in the preparatory work of awarding this scholarship scheme.
Auditor General Mr. Hussain Niyazi said the scholarship scheme was successfully implemented and thanked the efforts of the Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan and Ministry of Higher Education team. In his speech, the Auditor General, while congratulating the recipients of these scholarship opportunities, said that he studied with a loan and felt that the scholarship recipients are lucky to be able to study for free to become professional accountants. Therefore, he urged all students to make the most of this valuable opportunity.
The objective of the Professional Accountants Training Scholarship 2023 Scheme is to train local professional accountants in the Maldives. This program will reduce Maldives dependence on foreigners in this sector. The Ministry of Higher Education, under this scholarship program, last year awarded 173 scholarships. This year, 211 scholarships were awarded, 50 in the public category and 161 in the open category. The scholarship scheme is open to train accountants at ACCA skills and professional level, CIMA management and strategic level. Scholarship recipients are required to complete their study within 2 years and serve the nation for a period of 2 years upon completion of their studies.
