18/09/2026
๐ฐ๐บ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ณ๐๐๐
๐, ๐๐๐
๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐โ
ISIA President, Mr. Johnson Lobo stressed that the theme for the ISIA Annual Congress 2026 is a challenge to all participants and the accounting profession in Solomon Islands.
The third ISIA Annual Congress was hosted in Honiara from Thursday 17 September to Friday 18 September 2026 with the theme: โBeyond Qualifications: Building a Workforce that Thinks, Leads, and Creates.โ
The congress is the flagship event of ISIA and is very important for accounting professionals in all sectors. It is a platform where the accounting profession meets and networks with business and industry leaders as well as the Government to hold conversations on key matters affecting the profession and seek collaborative and sustainable solutions to strengthen the countryโs financial management systems.
Mr. Lobo said the gathering is not simply to talk about accounting, but to reflect on the future of the profession, the future of the workforce, and the future of our nation.
โThis Congress comes at a critical time. Solomon Islands is changing. Our economy is changing. Technology is changing. And the expectations placed on our institutions are rising. Therefore, our profession must evolve,โ Mr. Lobo said.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
For many years, we have rightly celebrated professional qualifications. A qualification demonstrates knowledge, discipline, and commitment and it provides the foundation of a career.
But a qualification is the beginning of professional responsibility, not the end.
ISIA President, Mr. Lobo said the world no longer needs accountants who simply record what has happened.
โWe need professionals who understand why it happened, what it means, what could happen next, and what to do about it.
โWe must move from reporting to advising, compliance to leadership, data to insight, and knowledge to action.
โThe accountant of tomorrow must be more than a custodian of numbers, we must be custodians of trust,โ he said.
When we speak of nation-building, we often think of roads, bridges, ports, and schools. But behind every successful development project, every budget, and every major investment is something less visible: sound financial management and a system of accountability.
Mr. Lobo continued: โWhether we serve in Government, the private sector, State-Owned Enterprises, or private practice, we have a duty that goes beyond our immediate employers: we have a responsibility to Solomon Islands. Every dollar must be managed responsibly. Every procurement decision must withstand scrutiny. Every public resource must be treated as a public trust.
โTechnology and artificial intelligence can process millions of transactions in seconds. But technology cannot replace professional judgement grounded in integrity. It cannot replace moral responsibility, courage, or our duty to tell the truth. Technology may change how we work, but it must never change what we stand for,โ he said.
๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐
The second call on this yearโs theme is leadership, emphasizing on the need for professionals in the Solomon Islands who are prepared to lead, not based on position or title, but based on competence, character, and courage.
โLeadership means speaking up when others remain silent. It means asking uncomfortable questions, protecting the public interest when it is difficult, accepting responsibility when things go wrong, and sharing credit when things go right.
โWe must produce accountants who sit confidently at the decision-making table, not merely to explain the numbers, but to help shape the decisions that drive our nation forward,โ ISIA President, Mr. Lobo, said.
๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
ISIA also calls on young professionals in Solomon Islands to create opportunities and be innovative.
Mr. Lobo said the countryโs economy needs individuals who do not only look for jobs, but who create opportunities.
โWe need innovators and problem-solvers who can help businesses grow, attract investment, and manage risk. We need a workforce that asks, "What can I contribute?" rather than "What can I receive?"
โTo our young accountants: your future is bigger than your first job. Do not define yourself solely by your certificates. Build your character, your tech skills, your communication, and your ability to negotiate and solve problems. You will inherit the institutions and economy we are shaping today. We must prepare you not merely to occupy positions, but to transform them,โ he said.
The ISIA President added: โThe responsibility of developing the workforce that Solomon Islands needs does not belong to educators alone. It does not belong to employers alone. It does not belong to professional bodies alone. It belongs to all of us.โ
๐๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐
Mr. Lobo highlighted that ISIA will need to evolve and strengthen professional development, promote ethical leadership, embrace digital transformation, and engage deeply with Government and the private sector.
โOur ambition is clear: an accounting profession respected not just for the qualifications we hold, but for the value we create and the integrity we demonstrate.
โWe stand at a crossroad. We can continue doing things as they have always been done, or we can choose to lead. We can remain focused on compliance alone, or we can become strategic development partners,โ he said.
Accountants and finance professionals are no longer operating only in the world of financial statements, compliance and reporting. Accountants are increasingly expected to understand technology, interpret data, manage risk, support good governance, communicate with decision-makers and contribute to the strategic direction of their organizations.
That is reflected in the programme for the Annual Congress 2026 which brings together discussions around economic development, public financial management, accounting standards, digital transformation, workforce capability, governance, financial reporting and transparency, sustainability and the future of the accounting profession.
