Accountancy firms to take 'proactive stance'

Date: 10th October 2008

Accountants could become increasingly more proactive in helping their clients through the global economic crisis.

That's the opinion of one prominent accountants' association, which believes that the profession has a "moral obligation" to assist clients in tough financial times.

At its 10th anniversary conference, the head of the AVN association for accountants called on his fellow professionals to step up to the challenge.

Chairman of the AVN, Steve Pipe, said: "The accounting profession has a moral obligation to show leadership by proactively helping the business community to weather the financial storm.

"Doing nothing is not an option, and neither is waiting until … clients are desperate."

He added that the association would be launching an anti-recession service, which would carry out a diagnostic review of how to best improve clients' revenues.

The Confederation of British Industry earlier this week welcomed the Bank of England's base rate reduction, hoping that it would kick-start the small business sector.