LCPAA Membership Categories
The LCPAA’s membership consists of three categories:
- Ordinary,
- Associate and
- Honorary members.
1. Ordinary Members
The Ordinary members of LCPAA includes individuals practicing as professional accountants and auditors, and legal entities that are registered as accounting and auditing firms, subject to requirements follows:
1.1 Individual Ordinary Members
An individual that wants to be an ordinary member should meet the criteria as follows:
1.1 Individual Ordinary Members
An individual that wants to be an ordinary member should meet the criteria as follows:
- Be a Lao national and aged 25 years and above;
- Have good moral, patriotic and solidarity values and does not cause impairment to the reputation of the accountancy profession.
- Register as a member of the LCPAA as defined in regulations;
- Have never been disciplined in any offense during past undertakings of professional services such as: disciplinary eviction as an employee, misappropriation of funds, fraud or sentenced by a court
- Have an undergraduate degree or higher in Accounting, Finance, Banking, Business Administration or Economics;
- Hold a diploma or certificate of accounting consultant or certificate of certified public accountant (CPA, CA, ACCA ..) through the completion of CPA courses and CPA practical training that is recognized by the LCPAA and Ministry of Finance. His/her practical training shall be performed at an entity practicing accounting and auditing works that is approved by Department of Accounting, Ministry of Finance;
- Be a practitioner in a public practice such as in an accounting or auditing firm or chief accountant in business, (as defined in the accounting law, Article 58)
1.2 Legal Entity Ordinary Members
A legal entity could be an ordinary member when it meets following criteria:
A legal entity could be an ordinary member when it meets following criteria:
- Be an accounting or auditing firm owned by a Certified Public Accountant with Lao nationality which correctly practices accounting and auditing services under the regulations, and has registered itself as a legal entity ordinary member of the LCPAA as defined in Article 42 of the Independent Audit Law.
- Conducts professional accounting and auditing services authorized by the Ministry of Finance (Accounting Department), and hold enterprise and tax licenses as well as other necessary documents set out by the governing authorities;
- Never been ruled by court for bankruptcy
- Voluntarily and sincerely contributes to the professional accountancy development as a member of the LCPAA according to regulations; and
- Complies with rules and laws issued by the State.
2. Associate member
Associate members are divided into two categories : practicing associate members and other associate members.
2.1 The LCPAA practicing associate member is divided into individual and legal entity members as follows:
2.1.1 An individual that would be practicing as an associate member shall be a non-Lao national who is a qualified Lao CPA and is practicing in an accounting or auditing firm or is a chief accountant in business as specified in the Accounting Law (Article 58) ; A legal entity wishing to be an associate legal entity member must be an accounting or auditing firm which is owned by a foreigner who has followed the conditions set in sub-article 1.2 as above.
2.1.2 Other associate members are individuals that do not meet all the criteria to be ordinary members.
Those could be
1) foreigners practicing as accounting staff in an enterprise or an accountant or an auditor practicing in an accounting or auditing firm or in a branch of which is in compliance with regulations. He/she shall voluntarily register as an associate member and contribute to the LCPAA activities;
2) Accounting teachers at academic institutions and university, CPA trainees, accountancy students and so on who are willing to be registered as non-practicing associate members and contribute to the work of the LCPAA.
Both individual and legal entity associate members are not entitled to vote or enter into a council member election at the LCPAA Congress.
2.2. Other associate members are individuals that do not meet all the criteria to be ordinary members.
Those could be
1) foreigners practicing as accounting staff in an enterprise or an accountant or an auditor practicing in an accounting or auditing firm or in a branch of which is in compliance with regulations. He/she shall voluntarily register as an associate member and contribute to the LCPAA activities;
2) Accounting teachers at academic institutions and university, CPA trainees, accountancy students and so on who are willing to be registered as non-practicing associate members and contribute to the work of the
LCPAA.
Both individual and legal entity associate members are not entitled to vote or enter into a council member election at the LCPAA Congress.
2.1 The LCPAA practicing associate member is divided into individual and legal entity members as follows:
2.1.1 An individual that would be practicing as an associate member shall be a non-Lao national who is a qualified Lao CPA and is practicing in an accounting or auditing firm or is a chief accountant in business as specified in the Accounting Law (Article 58) ; A legal entity wishing to be an associate legal entity member must be an accounting or auditing firm which is owned by a foreigner who has followed the conditions set in sub-article 1.2 as above.
2.1.2 Other associate members are individuals that do not meet all the criteria to be ordinary members.
Those could be
1) foreigners practicing as accounting staff in an enterprise or an accountant or an auditor practicing in an accounting or auditing firm or in a branch of which is in compliance with regulations. He/she shall voluntarily register as an associate member and contribute to the LCPAA activities;
2) Accounting teachers at academic institutions and university, CPA trainees, accountancy students and so on who are willing to be registered as non-practicing associate members and contribute to the work of the LCPAA.
Both individual and legal entity associate members are not entitled to vote or enter into a council member election at the LCPAA Congress.
2.2. Other associate members are individuals that do not meet all the criteria to be ordinary members.
Those could be
1) foreigners practicing as accounting staff in an enterprise or an accountant or an auditor practicing in an accounting or auditing firm or in a branch of which is in compliance with regulations. He/she shall voluntarily register as an associate member and contribute to the LCPAA activities;
2) Accounting teachers at academic institutions and university, CPA trainees, accountancy students and so on who are willing to be registered as non-practicing associate members and contribute to the work of the
LCPAA.
Both individual and legal entity associate members are not entitled to vote or enter into a council member election at the LCPAA Congress.
3. Honorary membership
An honorary member is a person holding Lao citizenship with the following criteria:
- Be a government official, an employee of a private enterprise, a businessman or natural person who has experience in accounting and auditing works and is considered to be highly reliable, well-qualified, and is recognized for promoting and developing the accounting profession to regional and international standards. And has a good reputation, good experience and technical expertise in financial, accounting and auditing which is recognized among members and the involved government organizations, as sincere in providing assistance to the LCPAA’s work. In such a case the LCPAA can invite the person to be an honorary member;
- Does not practice accounting and auditing; An honorary member provides consultation but is not entitled to vote or enter into an election of the LCPAA Council members unless specifically appointed by the Minister of Finance.