"The most challenging part of my job is its dynamism. Things happen very quickly here, and we need to be able to think fast and react fast to grab all the opportunities that are available,” says 25-year-old Wong Kang Wei about his job at the Accountant-General’s Department (AGD).

Surprised? Don’t be. Firstly, working at AGD does not mean that you would be a "conventional" accountant who processes tons of numbers, day-in, day-out. Well, you would probably see a lot of numbers for sure, but you’d be doing more than just number-crunching. Rather, an AGD officer has to analyse fi nancial fi gures to spot trends or to support complex decision-making.

As a department under the Ministry of Finance (MOF), AGD works closely with public sector agencies to raise the quality of financial administration in the public sector. The team of accounting professionals at both AGD HQ and Ministries are involved in wide-ranging, exciting and challenging work in financial and accounting areas.

These include, preparing Government financial statements and setting accounting, practices and policy standards for the public sector. AGD offi cers ensure the integrity of the Government’s financial and accounting systems, by raising the standards of corporate governance and providing assurance services to Ministries and statutory boards. AGD also monitors and evaluates the performance of the Government’s reserves and investments, by planning and conducting regular “value-for-money” reviews.

FINANCIAL GOALKEEPERS

“Basically, our role at AGD is similar to goalkeepers of a football team, or the coaches in charge of managing the team. We ensure that all the necessary controls are in place to ensure maximised efficiency and effectiveness,” said Kang Wei.

Kang Wei currently works as a Manager in AGD’s Financial Reporting Branch. Together with his colleagues, he oversees projects that directly affect the statutory boards in Singapore. They monitor how these agencies allocate their resources, to ensure that costs are managed effectively.

In addition, Kang Wei and his team also help to implement strategic policies as well as accounting and financial processes. The AGD also generates the Government Financial Statements that are presented to Parliament, as well as monitors returns from the Government’s financial investments. Other aspects of his job include providing technical support for the Accounting Standards Council in establishing accounting standards for companies, co-operatives, societies and charities.

In fact, Kang Wei was part of a committee formed for this purpose, and the team managed to address gaps in the existing system and provide accounting guidance for the statutory boards.

He also travels overseas occasionally for study missions, where he meets Chief Executive Offi cers (CEOs), Chief Financial Offi cers (CFOs), bankers and corporate partners to learn about fi nancial best practices.

In short, Kang Wei’s many responsibilities are pretty exhilarating stuff, especially since he has only been with AGD for less than two years. “I don’t feel intimidated by my responsibilities, although it does get stressful at times. I get a lot of satisfaction from doing my job, for example, whenever I manage to improve a process,” says Kang Wei.

CAN-DO ATTITUDE
Armed with his “can-do” attitude, it’s no wonder then that Kang Wei was awarded a scholarship in 2002 to pursue his Bachelor of Accountancy at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

“I decided to get a scholarship because it allowed me to pursue my undergraduate studies in a more fulfi lling way. In addition, it provides job security and a job which I desire upon graduation,” he explains.

The scholarship covered his tuition fees and various allowances, and also prepared him for his present career before he graduated. He even got to embark on an exchange programme at Queen’s University in Canada, as well as an eight-week internship at AGD during his vacations. As a result, Kang Wei made a smooth transition from student life to full-time work.

He also underwent a three-day course – “Developments in the Public Sector” - that explained how Government works. Speakers from the different ministries and different fi elds of Government shared their experiences and spoke of external and political threats to Singapore. By the time he officially started work, Kang Wei felt well prepared for his future career in public service.

He vividly remembers his first day of work at AGD. He recalls, “It was 19 June 2006. The people here were very friendly, and they still are! We have a very open culture here. Our bosses’ doors are always open. Even on my first day of work, I could just go to them directly to seek advice or discuss issues.”

Today, he works closely with all of them to juggle various responsibilities, while squeezing time to have fun, such as playing fooseball or pool at AGD’s recreation room.

Joining AGD has certainly turned out to be a good decision for Kang Wei. He offers these words of advice, “If you are interested in taking up Accountancy, and want to make a difference to Singapore’s public fi nance, this is the scholarship for you. That being said, a scholarship is a commitment, and applicants should consider carefully before undertaking this commitment.”