There are 166,000 professionally designated accountants in Canada. They hold one of three designations (CA, CGA, or CMA). Each province and territory has the authority to regulate the accounting profession within its own jurisdiction, so this has resulted in 40 legislated bodies controlling the accounting profession.
In spring 2011, the three professional accounting bodies in Quebec were urged by the provincial regulator to consider one unified professional designation, with a uniform and high-level qualification process. This was followed by an announcement that the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) and CMA Canada were also considering uniting at the national level to create a new professional designation.
Instructions
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of a single unified professional accounting designation in Canada. More information about this proposal is available on the CICA and CGA websites.