ASEAN Federation of Accountants

What ASEAN Federation of Accountants does

ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA) is a regional non-profit professional accountancy organization founded in March 1977 and headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the secretariat hosted by the Institute of Indonesia Chartered Accountants (IAI). It serves as the umbrella body for the 10 national Professional Accountancy Organisations (PAOs) of ASEAN member states — BICPA (Brunei), KICPAA (Cambodia), IAI (Indonesia), LCPAA (Laos), MIA (Malaysia), MICPA (Myanmar), PICPA (Philippines), ISCA (Singapore), TFAC (Thailand), and VAA (Vietnam) — together with 11 international associate members including CPA Australia, ACCA, ICAEW, CA ANZ, JICPA, IMA, ICAI, and ICMAI. Its mission is to advance the status of the accountancy profession in ASEAN and to foster an ASEAN philosophy on accounting.

AFA's core offerings consist of thought leadership publications (annual reports, the AFA Connect newsletter, ASEAN ESG Focus Group Reports, Business Sentiment Surveys, and research reports), professional events (the annual AFA Conference series, now in its 24th edition, and quarterly council meetings), training and development resources for small and medium accounting practices (SMPs), research grants, and standards adoption frameworks including the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Accountancy Services. The federation operates a small secretariat of approximately 7 staff and is governed by an elected Council of office bearers serving two-year terms.

AFA's business model is funded primarily through recurring annual membership dues from its 10 primary and 11 associate member organizations, supplemented by collaborative contributions from international partners (IFAC, World Bank, CPA Australia) on joint research and capacity-building programs. It does not sell commercial products or services to end customers; rather, it functions as a facilitator of cross-border collaboration, professional mobility, IFRS/ISSB standards adoption, and emerging focus areas such as sustainability and ESG reporting across the ASEAN region. Since 2019, AFA has held IFAC Network Partner status, and its Strategic Plan 2024-2027 currently guides its priorities through its golden jubilee in 2027.

Name

ASEAN Federation of Accountants

Legal name

ASEAN Federation of Accountants

Website

https://afa-accountants.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The ASEAN Federation of Accountants is a non-profit regional umbrella body, founded in 1977 and based in Jakarta, that serves the 10 national Professional Accountancy Organisations of ASEAN member states plus 11 international associate members, advancing the accountancy profession through publications, conferences, research, and standards adoption advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Accountancy Association Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG Reporting, Disclosure & Regulatory Compliance (SFDR, EU Taxonomy, TCFD/ISSB) (FSAAALAK), Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

Keywords

• Professional accountancy federation
• Regional accounting standards
• Mutual recognition arrangement
• Sustainability reporting research
• Professional development resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Jakarta

HQ country

Indonesia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from 10 primary member organizations (national PAOs from each ASEAN country) and associate members from international accounting bodies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA) is a non-profit regional federation that convenes the national Professional Accountancy Organisations of ASEAN's 10 member states through publications (Annual Reports, ESG reports, business sentiment reports, research reports, and the AFA Connect newsletter), regional events (the biennial ASEAN Accountants Conference and quarterly council meetings), a research grant program, training and development resources, and the MRA Framework on Accountancy Service. Its offerings focus on advancing the accountancy profession, supporting IFRS and ISSB standards adoption, building capacity for small and medium accounting practices (SMPs), and driving regional advocacy on sustainability reporting across ASEAN.

Product overview

ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA) operates as a regional professional association, not a software product company. Its core offerings consist of thought leadership publications (Annual Reports, ESG Reports, Business Sentiment Reports, Research Reports, and AFA Connect newsletters), professional events (conferences and council meetings), research grant programs, and training resources. The federation focuses on advancing the accounting profession through standards guidance, capacity building, and collaborative initiatives with international partners like IFAC and CPA Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AFA Annual Reports Comprehensive annual reports documenting the federation's activities, achievements, and financial statements for each fiscal year, published for AFA members, stakeholders, and the public accountancy community.
• ASEAN ESG Reports Environmental, Social, and Governance focus group reports published in collaboration with CPA Australia, addressing sustainability reporting readiness and ESG-related developments in ASEAN jurisdictions.
• ASEAN Business Sentiment Reports Regional and country-specific business sentiment surveys conducted jointly with CPA Australia, covering Vietnam, Indonesia, and broader ASEAN markets for member PAOs and stakeholders.
• AFA Research Reports Research publications addressing ASEAN SMEs, accounting education, technology adoption, IFRS implementation, and accounting profession development in Southeast Asia.
• AFA Connect Newsletter Regular newsletter editions providing updates on federation activities, events, and regional accounting profession news for member PAOs and the ASEAN accountancy community.
• AFA Annual Conference Annual regional conferences bringing together ASEAN accountants to discuss sustainability, green accounting, IFRS adoption, and professional development topics, organized by AFA jointly with a host member PAO.
• AFA Training and Development Resources Training guides, IFRS adoption materials, and professional development resources for ASEAN accountants, SMPs, and member PAOs.
• Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) Framework on Accountancy Services Mutual Recognition Arrangement framework facilitating cross-border accountancy professional mobility within ASEAN, providing recognition of professional qualifications across member jurisdictions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kampuchea Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Auditors (KICPAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025KICPAA (Primary Member from Cambodia) achieved full IFAC membership in December 2025, a milestone facilitated through AFA's regional advocacy and capacity building programs.
• International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2025AFA holds IFAC Network Partner status (since 2019). The organizations co-hosted the AFA-IFAC Dialogue in Jakarta (December 2025) to strengthen regional collaboration on international standards adoption and PAO development.
• Vietnam Association of Accountants and Auditors (VAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025VAA (Primary Member of AFA) co-hosted the 24th AFA Conference on 'Green Accounting and Finance: Shaping a Sustainable Future' in Hanoi, Vietnam, November 2025.
• CPA AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Long-standing collaboration on ASEAN business sentiment surveys (annual since 2023), ESG reports, and joint webinars on sustainability, SMP digital transformation, and small business topics. CPA Australia is an Associate Member of AFA.
• ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Joint webinars on IFRS 17 implementation, future of work, and sustainable finance. ICAEW is an Associate Member of AFA.
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Joint webinars on IFRS in CLMV, AML/CFT, sustainability for SMEs, and valuation/impairment issues. ACCA is an Associate Member of AFA.
• World BankminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019World Bank supported development of the accountancy profession in Southeast Asia and published a report on the current status of the profession in the ASEAN region.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Accountancy Europe: Regional federation representing 51 professional accountancy bodies across Europe. Most direct structural analog to AFA—federates national PAOs, drives regional standards adoption and advocacy, though at a larger scale and longer operating history.
• AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants): US national PAO with comparable federating role for the CPA profession. Most analogous single-country PAO in scale and scope to the largest AFA members, with similar functions in standard-setting, advocacy, and member services.
• Institute of Management Accountants (IMA): Global association for management accountants and AFA associate member. Comparable as a professional body offering credentials (CMA), continuing education, and thought leadership, with similar member-driven governance model.
• CPA Australia: Major professional accounting body and AFA associate member. Directly comparable as a PAO serving members with similar services (CPD, advocacy, publications), with strong joint programs on ESG and business sentiment surveys in ASEAN.
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ): Trans-Tasman PAO and AFA associate member. Directly comparable as a chartered accountancy body offering membership credentials, CPD, and policy advocacy across a multi-country region.

Broad incumbents

• ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales): Global professional accounting body and AFA associate member. Comparable in offering chartered accountancy credentials, CPD, and policy advocacy; co-hosts webinars and shares thought leadership with AFA on IFRS and sustainability topics.
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants): Global body for chartered certified accountants and AFA associate member. Comparable in serving a multi-jurisdiction member base with CPD, qualifications, and policy advocacy; joint webinar programs with AFA on IFRS and AML/CFT.
• International Federation of Accountants (IFAC): Global umbrella organization for the accountancy profession. AFA's Network Partner since 2019; comparable in federating national PAOs but operates globally with far greater resources and standard-setting influence.

Regional players

• Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI): Statutory national PAO of India and AFA associate member. Comparable in scale and federating role for a large national accountant base, with parallel functions in standard-setting, examinations, and member discipline.
• SAICA (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants): National PAO for South Africa. Comparable as an integrated accounting body (CA designation, training, advocacy) operating under a similar federated governance model to AFA's primary members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AFA_Accountants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asean-federation-of-accountants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ASEAN Federation of Accountants