Hyderabad: Accounting continues to be the backbone of businesses and a vital skill in navigating economic challenges, speakers said at the Certificate Distribution Programme of Finlearn Academy organized at on Tuesday.

A total of 40 students who completed the free two-month training programme in accounting and taxation received their certificates at the event.

Addressing the gathering, chief guest MLC and Siasat News Editor Amir Ali Khan underscored the importance of inculcating financial competence among youth. “Complex calculations such as GST and Income Tax filing become manageable with proper accounting knowledge. Whether during lockdowns or economic crises, demand for accountants will never decline,” he said.

Invoking the example of Bibi Khadija (RA), the wife of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who ran a successful export business 1,400 years ago, he urged women to embrace entrepreneurship in the modern era. He said “if it was done 1400 years ago, why can’t the women and girls do [take up entrepreneurship] today?”

He also expressed concern over the sharp decline in Muslim representation in government jobs, which, he said, had dropped from 42 per cent in 1947 to single digits now. “The lack of education and reluctance to pursue it is the primary reason for this decline,” he noted.

Calling for the establishment of an association of chartered accountants and finance professionals, he said such a network would strengthen both the profession and the community. Recounting his first year as a Member of the Legislative Council, he said interventions in skill development programmes - including driver training - had enabled savings and deemed earnings of at least ₹23 crore for the community.

The Chief Editor of Gawah Urdu Weekly advised graduates to pursue their profession with sincerity and transparency, stressing the role of zakat in community upliftment.

The speakers also noted that Finlearn Academy’s focus on teaching practical, joboriented skills in accounting and taxation equips students to face real-world financial challenges. The idea, they said, is to enable individuals to become self-sufficient in managing financial matters for themselves and their businesses.

CA Syed Jamsheed Ahmed delivered the welcome address. Founder-Chairman FinLearn Academy Mr. Syed Khursheed Ahmed appreciated the spirit and enthusiasm of graduating students. Mohammed Junaid Razvi, Audit Director, Ernst & Young, Saudi Arabia, lauded the students’ skills, declaring them “job ready,” and urged them to disseminate their knowledge widely.