ISCA and IMDA Launch AI Fluency Programme for 60,000 Accountancy Professionals
Source: The Straits Times
The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have launched AIxAccountancy, a free AI fluency programme targeting 60,000 accountancy and corporate finance professionals over three years. The programme, delivered in two phases, starts with foundational AI tool training and progresses to role-specific applications like fraud detection and tax computation. It is the first professional-body partnership under Singapore's National AI Impact Programme, which aims to make 100,000 workers AI-fluent by 2029.
The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have officially launched AIxAccountancy, a free AI fluency programme that will train 60,000 accountancy and corporate finance professionals over the next three years. Announced on July 3 during ISCA's annual dinner by Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah, the programme marks the first partnership between IMDA and a professional body under the National AI Impact Programme unveiled in March.
The programme is structured in two phases. Participants will first build foundational skills with popular AI tools including ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot. In the second phase, learners will apply AI to specific accounting roles — building tools for fraud detection, tax computation, budgeting, forecasting, and even developing custom accounting chatbots. More than 20,000 individuals across the public and private sectors had already expressed interest before the official launch, reflecting strong pent-up demand. The course is free for Singaporeans and PRs working in accounting and finance, ISCA members, and local institute of higher learning students.
The timing reflects the breakneck pace of change in the AI space, Indranee noted. Professionals at firms like PKF-CAP are already using Microsoft's Copilot to draft client emails autonomously and surface unusual trends in financial statements during M&A audits. The programme aims to push these capabilities further, enabling accountants to harness AI agents for autonomous task execution without constant prompting. Upon completion, learners receive a certificate and a verifiable digital badge that can be shared on LinkedIn as a tamper-proof record of AI proficiency.
Why it matters for Singapore: The accountancy sector employs tens of thousands of professionals, and its transformation through AI has significant implications for audit quality, fraud detection, and financial transparency across the entire Singapore economy. AIxAccountancy is the test case for IMDA's broader push to embed AI fluency into every profession — if it works here, expect similar programmes for law, healthcare, and other regulated sectors. The two-phase structure, combining general AI literacy with role-specific applications, also sets a template that other professional bodies can adopt as Singapore works toward its 100,000 AI-fluent workers target by 2029.