Municipal structure to be evaluated at CPA Convention
By The Star Staff
From today through next Monday, Sept. 5, the Certified Public Accountants Association of Puerto Rico (CCPA by its Spanish initials), will be holding its 2022 Convention, “Creating Change and Strengthening Tomorrow,” in a hybrid format.
The summit event will be the “Forum: The Future of Municipalities: Fiscal Challenges and Their Effect on Constituents,” which will take place on Friday at the Wyndham Grand Río Mar hotel in Río Grande.
“For a long time, the need to evaluate the structure of the government of Puerto Rico, both at the central and regional levels, has been discussed due to the fiscal and governance problems that we experience,” said CPA Oscar E. Cullen Ramos, president of the CCPA. “Currently, the sustainability of some municipalities is a priority issue.”
Among the group of exhibitors will be Omar Marrero Díaz, secretary of the state and executive director of the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF), who will be discussing the financing of municipal services and the balance between central and municipal services. In addition, Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes and San Sebastián Mayor Javier Jiménez Pérez will discuss the current fiscal situation of the island’s municipalities. Also, CPA and lawyer Germán Ojeda, director of municipal affairs for the Financial Oversight and Management Board, will detail the provisions of the federal entity related to the fiscal situation of the municipalities.
At the conclusion of the dialogue, there will be a reactor panel composed of Joaquín Villamil, CEO & chairman of the board of directors at Estudios Técnicos Inc., and El Nuevo Día journalist Joanisabel González, who will share comments from the economic and fiscal perspective. The moderator will be the CPA Rolando López, president of the Committee on Public Policy and former president of the CCPA.
“This is the pinnacle educational event of our Convention; however, our educational webinar program begins on Tuesday [today], August 30, and will run through noon on Thursday, September 1,” the CCPA president said. “Just like last year, CPAs will be able to complete up to 18 credit hours of continuing education in accounting and auditing, ethics, contributions, and general.”
The face-to-face events include the Distinguished Colleagues Luncheon, where the work of CPA Orlando Vázquez will be recognized for Distinguished Services to the Community; CPA Kermit Lucena for Distinguished Services to the Profession; CPA Luis Ramírez for Distinguished Services to Colleagues; CPA Cecilia Colón for Distinguished Services to the CCPA; CPA Miguel Santini for Distinguished Services in Education; CPA Roberto Martínez for Distinguished Services in Industry and Commerce in the Insurance Sector; and CPA Carlos Vivaldi for Distinguished Services in Industry and Commerce in the Health Sector. The President’s Special Award will also be given to CPA Luis A. Feliciano, who turns 100 in December and still practices public accounting in Ponce.
At this event, CPA Anoop Mehta, president of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, will offer in person a message about developments in the profession.
“The Annual Assembly will be on September 3 and it will announce the elected 2022-2023 Governing Board,” Cullen Ramos said. “In the evening, the Gala for 100 Years of the Profession in Puerto Rico will be held, where CPA Aixa González will be sworn in as the new president.”
For additional details on the convention, access the website www.colegiocpa.com or call 787-622-0900.