July 16, 2015
Maori accountants celebrate different view
The annual hui of the Maori accountants’ network Nga Kaitatau Maori o Aotearoa is in Hamilton over the next two days, and outgoing chair Wiwini Hakaraia says it’s a chance to celebrate what makes indigenous bean counters different.
Maori make up about 2 percent of the country’s 32,000 accountants.
Among the questions speakers will raise are whether people can retain their Maori identity and still excel in accounting, commerce or law, and how they can bridge the financial needs and economic concerns of Maori people while working in a corporate environment.
Mr Hakaraia says in a profession where knowing the value of things is crucial, Maori identity is showing up on the positive side of the ledger.
"We have a different point of view and what that enables us to do is draw out different issues that may or may not arise and we come up with normally quite alternative solutions for them," he says.
A highlight of the hui will be signing a memorandum of undersanding with the new combined Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and recognising the Maori advisory role on indigenous issues.
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