Asma Sheik, a Finance Manager in the Property Branch, has called on all City employees in the money portfolio to join the Chartered Institute of Government, Finance, Audit and Risk Officers (CIGFARO).
Sheik is the Gauteng Chairperson for the CIGFARO and ex-officio director until 2020. CIGFARO is a non-profit professional body for finance, audit, risk management, performance management and related professionals in the public sector. It is an affiliate of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
CIGFARO has a database of about 576 members, 28 of whom are from the City. “We need more members to join from the City, especially those who do not fall under a professional body umbrella like SAICA or SAIPA,” she says.
She urges accounting officers, HODs and entity CEOs, managers and officials from internal audit, supply chain and risk officers to register as members.
Professional bodies such as CIGFARO provide a level of assurance to employers that their employees uphold the values of professionalism, good ethics and high financial standards.
“We need to get finance officials to understand that they perform a critical and specialised function in a municipality’s administration and that they have a standard of ethics and professionalism to uphold,” she explains.
Sheik started working in the City’s Property Branch as a Manager for Revenue Enhancement in 2009, responsible for optimising revenue and identifying gaps in revenue collection.
She joined the finance section of the Property Branch as a manager in 2014, where she’s in charge of financial reporting, procurement and asset management. She is qualified in Financial Information Systems, boasting a Degree in Business Administration and an Honours Degree in Strategic Management.
She counts herself amongst the first group of employees who completed their National Treasury Municipal Finance qualification at the Wits Business School in 2010.
Sheik went on to complete the Advanced Certificate in the same programme in 2013 and finished as the top student for Johannesburg.
“I aim to represent the City on this important forum with my skills and know-how and to ensure that the City is part of the professionalisation of public finance officials on all levels,” explains Sheik.
