Coimbatore: Taking a new initiative, the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) will offer a one-year Certificate in Accounting Technicians (CAT) for students having plus two degree.

This was announced by Mr. Kunal Banerjee, President, ICWAI.

The course is introduced with an aim to meet the demand of shortage of one million junior level accountants in the country.

The ICWAI will offer a fast track CIMA qualification for cost accountants as the institute has joined hands with the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts (CIMA), U.K.

"The CIMA syllabus has a certificate level, managerial level and strategic level. ICWAI qualified personnel will be able to join at the strategic level. They will be exempted from writing 11 papers out of the total 14. Reciprocally, CIMA qualified personnel can attempt the ICWAI examination and need to qualify only in six papers," said Mr. Banerjee.

The ICWAI has also initiated a B. Com. in Financial and Cost Accounting, and an M. Com. in Management Accounting and Financial Strategies with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

"Students who have completed 10+2 can pursue a foundation course in ICWAI simultaneously with the B. Com. course of IGNOU," said M. Shanmugam, Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre, Madurai.

"Intermediate ICWAI passed students can pursue final course of ICWAI and M. Com. simultaneously. ICWAI students will be exempted from certain papers," added Mr. Shanmugam.